"Talent Gathers in Fujian - Xiamen Attracts the World" 2026 Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition Finals and Award Ceremony Held in Xiamen, 114 Innovative Projects Competed for the Crown

Xiamen, China--(Newsfile Corp. - September 30, 2026) - From September 6 to 9, the finals and award ceremony of the "Talent Gathers in Fujian · Xiamen Attracts the World" 2026 Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition were successfully held in Xiamen, Fujian Province，China. A total of 6 gold awards, 9 silver awards, and 15 bronze awards were selected. Founded in 2025, the competition leverages the "September 8" CIFIT grand event to build a "competition-based talent attraction" bridge, extending a global "call for heroes" to scientific and technological innovation talents, driving a "two-way journey" between talent and Fujian's industrial layout, and providing participating projects with full-stack services including concept validation, transformation and incubation, investment and financing, and application scenarios, helping to gather talent in Fujian and prosper Fujian through talent.

Competition Scale Doubles, Talents from 53 Countries and Regions Compete Fiercely

The 2026 competition focused on Fujian Province's "555X" industrial clusters, setting up three tracks: electronic information, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. It quickly "went viral" in global innovation communities-nearly 20 domestic and overseas professional incubators and talent institutions cooperated in organizing the competition, and more than 480 media outlets worldwide paid attention to the event; there were 1,756 registered projects and 1,188 preliminary competition projects, both about three times the figures of last year's competition. The projects spanned 53 countries and regions including the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Japan, and China's Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, with 90% coming from overseas developed countries and regions. Among the 114 projects that advanced to the finals, nearly 80% were led by Ph.D. holders, more than 30% were projects involving talents from China's Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan and foreign talents, and nearly half of the participating talents were still working overseas.

At the finals, project roadshows were brilliant and diverse, with technological achievements highly aligned with Fujian Province's industrial development needs. In the electronic information track, artificial intelligence projects showcased their strengths in areas such as large models, embodied intelligence, and spatial computing, while integrated circuit projects covered the entire chain from chip design, manufacturing, packaging and testing, to application; in the biotechnology track, cutting-edge directions such as AI pharmaceuticals, brain-computer interfaces, and cell therapy competed fiercely, highlighting the "AI + biology" integration trend; in the advanced manufacturing track, innovative achievements emerged frequently in fields such as new energy, new materials, and precision equipment.

Opening Talent Recommendation Channels Widely, Driving "Talent Recommends Talent" and "Institutions Recommend Talent"

To precisely connect with high-quality talent projects, this year's competition specially set up a talent recommendation mechanism. Outstanding projects recommended by provincial-level or higher talents could directly enter the finals, attracting 18 experts to become competition scouts. Qiu Chengfeng, co-founder of Sitan Technology, was one of them. As a technology entrepreneur deeply engaged in Micro-LED display technology for more than 20 years, Qiu Chengfeng has special feelings for Xiamen. In 2022, Sitan Technology settled in Xiamen Torch High-tech Zone, and two years later, the Micro-LED silicon-based bonding mass production line was officially put into operation. "Xiamen has unique advantages in the new display industry. Whether in raw materials, application end, or production end, they are all very complete," Qiu Chengfeng once commented. Today, Sitan has grown into a national-level specialized and sophisticated "little giant" enterprise in the Micro-LED field, which further strengthened Qiu Chengfeng's belief in recommending talent for the city. "The competition is relatively fierce. Even if you get on the 'express train,' you still have to prepare well," said a participating talent who was favored and recommended by a scout.

In addition to "talent recommends talent," "institutions recommend talent" has also become an important channel for the competition to identify talent. The Zhongke Yucheng Center, jointly built by the Institute of Urban Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, recommended multiple high-quality projects by foreign talents from BRICS countries for the competition, further reducing the cost of connecting with foreign talents and consolidating the foundation of high-tech project reserves for Fujian and Xiamen to accelerate the construction of the BRICS Science and Technology Innovation Incubation Park.

Connecting While Competing, Providing Full-Cycle Services for Participating Projects

The competition organizing committee made great efforts in project services, fully leveraging the factor integration advantages of Xiamen Torch Group as a science and technology innovation service platform, negotiating and connecting with participating talents throughout the entire competition process, providing a package of services including policy consultation, site selection, achievement transformation, financing matchmaking, and scenario development, incorporating award-winning projects into support systems such as "grant and investment combination," concept validation, and science and technology venture capital. During the finals, supporting activities such as park visits, investment and financing matchmaking, and industrial scenario matchmaking were also carefully organized. At present, 13 participating talents have been facilitated to establish enterprises or take up positions in Xiamen, and 5 projects have reached landing intentions with Fuzhou and Zhangzhou.

Undoubtedly, the 114 finalist projects received more concentrated attention from investment institutions and achievement transformation institutions, but the competition's circle of friends includes all 1,756 talents who registered and participated. From the competition venue to the market, from negotiation to landing, the organizing committee strives to make participating talents feel that they are not just participating in a competition, but forming a bond with Fujian through a competition, further linking Fujian's scientific and technological innovation resources, and laying a solid foundation for subsequent development in Fujian.

Contestants Praise the Event, Competition Continues to Convey Confidence in Developing in Fujian

At the award ceremony, before the applause faded, invitations had already begun. Dr. Zhang Chenzhong, a representative of the gold award winners, shared his competition experience, saying, "In July this year, I set foot in Fujian and came to Xiamen for the first time. Not only does it have a superior ecological environment, but it also surges with vigorous and vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship vitality. This confidence and enthusiasm deeply moved me." Because of this competition, Zhang Chenzhong formed a bond with Fujian just after returning to China and decided to stay and work. "Fujian is truly a blessed land, and I am full of confidence in its development." A word of "stay" became his strongest praise for this competition.

This confidence also resonated among foreign contestants. Dr. Joern Rickert from Germany fully affirmed the organizing committee's meticulous organization and professional matchmaking, and expressed full expectation for landing his silver award project in Fujian. A Russian contestant had a clear goal: "The large market for bearing production is in China. We hope our products can enter China and, through the competition, move toward the Asian-European market."

After the finals, many participating project teams actively inquired about next year's competition arrangements and expressed that they would recommend more industry talents to participate and connect. "On the one hand, we focus on 'identifying talent through competition,' attracting and supporting more outstanding talents to bring projects and technologies to develop in Fujian; on the other hand, we pay attention to 'making friends through competition,' allowing global talents to form bonds with Fujian, continuously expanding Fujian's 'talent circle' and 'innovation circle,' and striving to make Fujian a hot land for innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity for all kinds of talents," introduced a relevant person in charge of Xiamen Torch Group.

Media contact

Contact: Shi Yi Sun

Company Name: Fu Jian Talent

Website: https://www.fujiantalent.com

Email: [email protected]

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