Pujiang Innovation Forum to bring entrepreneurs and policymakers closer

The 2019 Pujiang Innovation Forum aimed at further discussing the future trends of technological development with industry experts at home and abroad will kick off in Shanghai on May 24, Zhang Bingqing, deputy director of the Department of Policy, Regulation and Innovation System at the Ministry of Science and Technology, said at a press conference on Monday.

"The forum this year will highlight the main drivers of innovation to listen to the needs of enterprises and facilitate more dialogues between entrepreneurs and policymakers," Zhang said, adding that the strength of young talents will also be addressed.

Initiated in 2008, the forum is one of the most international and high-profile of its kind held in China, jointly organized by the ministry and Shanghai municipal government. It is dedicated to creating a platform for global innovation exchange among academics, top-level officials and business elites.

The 2019 forum carries a theme of "technological innovation -- new vision, new future" and will consist of four special sub-forums and 11 other panel discussions, covering a wide range of topics including future technological trends, entrepreneurship, policy, as well as culture and tech-finance.

It will also stress the participation of young scientists and entrepreneurs, cooperation of international high level research institutions and innovation promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Singapore will be the forum's guest country of honor and a special sub-forum on innovative partnership between China and Singapore will be held.

Wong Choo Sin, director of China Division of International Enterprise Singapore, said Singapore wants to discuss with its Chinese counterparts topics related to environmental sustainability and health and biomedical.

"We hope to work with our Chinese partners to provide solutions to these problems through innovative research and development," he said.

Nearly 150 guest speakers from 21 countries are expected to attend the event, with 46 percent being scientists and scholars, 39 percent entrepreneurs and 15 percent government officials.

Guest speakers who are expected to make remarks at the opening ceremony include Philip Campbell, editor-in-chief of the publishing company Springer Nature, and Lucas Loh, president and Chief Executive Officer of China, CapitaLand Group.