2026 Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum convenes

On the afternoon of March 28, the Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum (YID Forum) successfully convened at Zhongguancun International Innovation Center. Serving as an important session of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, the YID Forum was co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau, Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, China Communist Youth League Beijing Committee, Beijing Overseas Talents Center, Beijing Haidian District Committee of the Communist Party of China, Beijing Haidian District People's Government, and China Daily 21st Century Media. Co-initiated by global and domestic institutions in education, science and technology, and talent development, the forum serves as a dynamic global exchange and cooperation platform for young innovators. Distinguished guests in attendance included Xu Xiao, executive member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and President of the All-China Youth Federation, Li Chenglin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Director of the Organization Department, and Yu Tao, vice president of China International Communications Group. The landmark event drew a diverse audience of more than 500 attendees, including guests from relevant government departments and international organizations, alongside renowned scientists, entrepreneurs, scholars, foreign experts, and a vibrant community of Chinese and foreign youth.

A Global Talent Hub, An Open Invitation

Chinese and foreign youth representatives issued a compelling invitation to global talents: Gather in Beijing, Create the Future. Zhang Linfeng, founder and chief scientist of DP Technology and winner of the 2024 Beijing Science and Technology Award - Zhongguancun Award for Outstanding Young Scientists, noted that Beijing not only provides a top-tier research environment but also instills young innovators with profound confidence. He emphasized that the city boasts a dense concentration of top talents, a comprehensive industrial ecosystem, and full-cycle policy support for startups—from their early stages to mature growth. This includes robust, all-encompassing resources such as funding support, talent apartments, and dedicated entrepreneurship stewardship services. Highlighting this ecosystem, he shared that DP Technology's inaugural startup funding came directly from Beijing's Zhongguancun Disruptive Technology R&D and Commercialization Program, even before its angel round of financing.

Li Ying, principal investigator at the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing (CIBR Beijing), and member of the Standing Committee of the All-China Youth Federation, said that stepping into the building of CIBR headquarters feels like entering a "mini United Nations". Here, more than 30 international young scientists, researchers of diverse ethnic backgrounds, and clinical doctors operate free from rigid rules and traditional staffing limitations. Instead, they enjoy absolute academic freedom, and are encouraged to explore boldly and creatively. She added that the open and inclusive atmosphere at research institutions like CIBR Beijing perfectly epitomizes the exceptional innovation and entrepreneurship environment across Beijing.

Erik Nilsson, an American journalist with China Daily and the winner of the Chinese Government Friendship Award, shared his recent experience in Beijing E-Town, where he danced, shot baskets, and even practiced sanda strikes alongside robots. He expressed that he discovered a brand-new Beijing—one that is not just moving toward the future, but has already arrived in it. Being an entrepreneur in this city and in this era is, as he described, profoundly inspiring. Beijing is uniquely open and inclusive, offering young people a wealth of advantages and conveniences, ranging from entrepreneurship incubators to the 12345 citizen service hotline.

Song Yachen, founder and CEO of VAST and a winner of the 2025 ZGC U30 program, recalled that as a child he struggled to depict the world in his mind. Today, by pioneering a business in AI 3D technology, he hopes to equip his young peers with a magic brush. He stated that Beijing offers the premier environment in the world to turn such ambitious sci-fi dreams into reality, as the city is deeply committed to supporting and funding visionary ideas. "For those who hold an uncharted world in their minds, Beijing welcomes you to pursue entrepreneurship here", he said. "With a host of dedicated practitioners safeguarding the innovation ecosystem, we can confidently wield our magic brushes on this promising land and translate imagination into tangible reality."

A New Generation of Youth Forging Ahead

At the Forum, the highly anticipated list of 2025 ZGC U30 winners was officially announced, spotlighting 30 exceptional young entrepreneurs in cutting-edge fields. Among them, 96.7% focus on strategic emerging and future industries such as artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, biomedicine, and brain science. Aiming for domestic substitution, industrial disruption, and the pioneering of new tracks, they demonstrate distinctive strengths: high starting points, strong technological capabilities, and rapid trajectories of growth. Building on this momentum, the recruitment and selection process for the 2026 ZGC U30 program was launched simultaneously and will continue to align with the strategic development layout of high-end, precision, and cutting-edge industries, seeking to identify young sci-tech innovation "breakthrough pioneers" under the age of 35. By targeting individuals with outstanding innovation capabilities, robust technical strength, and the courage to explore and experiment, the initiative aims to build a higher-quality development platform for the next generation of young entrepreneurs.

Launched in 2015, ZGC U30 is co-hosted by the Science and Technology Communication Center of the China Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau, China Communist Youth League Beijing Committee, the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, and Beijing Haidian District People's Government. True to its core mission of identifying young entrepreneurial talents with the potential to change the world, the initiative has nurtured young sci-tech innovators for 11 consecutive years, successfully cultivating a vibrant, multi-supportive "rainforest ecosystem" for youth innovation and entrepreneurship.

Empowered by Beijing's robust policies for young talents to start businesses and innovate, 309 winners from China and overseas have thrived within this ecosystem. To date, the program has evaluated nearly 7,000 young sci-tech talents and ultimately selected 309 winners from China and overseas. Remarkably, it has fostered two listed companies and more than 90 "Specialized, Sophisticated, Unique and New" enterprises, solidifying its status as a premier platform for cultivating young sci-tech leading talents and accelerating hard-tech entrepreneurship.

Yu Hao, a representative of the initiators of ZGC U30 and CEO of Legend Holdings Corporation, stated that young sci-tech entrepreneurs are facing unprecedented and sharply defined opportunities in this era. He expressed his hope that the new generation of young innovators will focus on major national strategic needs, strive to break through key bottleneck technologies, and bravely explore basic research alongside the frontiers of hard technology. "Through relentless innovation and hard work, they should shoulder the historic mission of achieving self-reliance and strength in science and technology," he said.

An Innovation Link, A Global Drive

GNIS officially launched a video release detailing its dual-track development services for overseas and foreign young talent coming to Beijing, covering both scientific research and industrial development. The release showcases the "18311" support system. This robust framework consists of one‑stop services for talent teams, support from innovation and entrepreneurship parks, project implementation, and strategic pathways for enterprise globalization.

Professor Dr. Ömer Sahin Ganiyusufoglu, member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering (Acatech), shared his firsthand experience of establishing partnerships with Beijing-based universities and tech enterprises through GNIS. He further expressed his unwavering commitment to Sino‑European innovation cooperation among young talents, aiming to jointly drive industrial and technological transformation. 

The Forum also marked the launch of the China-Europe Center for Advanced Engineering and Technology Talent, initiated by the Beijing International Human Capital Group Co., Ltd. Focused on Beijing's key industrial sectors, the Center will serve as a public platform for talent, technology, and project exchanges between China and Europe. Its ultimate goal is to become a premier hub for training and gathering outstanding engineers and a dynamic base for technical exchanges. 

Starting from Chaoyang District, Shunyi District, and the Beijing Economic‑Technological Development Area (BDA), the Center will forge deep connections with leading European innovation institutions such as the Fraunhofer‑Gesellschaft and Technical University of Denmark. It will explore diverse cooperation models, including joint talent training, mutual recognition of qualification standards, and collaborative R&D projects. To ensure their success, Beijing will provide substantial policy support for related initiatives, such as designating them as demonstration projects for high‑caliber talent hub development.

Talent Gathers in Beijing, Youth Creates the Future

To address key challenges young talents face when building their careers—such as high housing costs and complexities in securing household registration (hukou)—Haidian District, Changping District, and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) have piloted the construction of youth innovation and entrepreneurship ecological demonstration zones, under the guidance of the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau. By integrating regional resources, these zones have rolled out a comprehensive suite of supportive measures, including housing subsidies and rent-free workspaces. In conjunction with municipal departments including the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, 24 targeted policies were issued to bolster this initiative. This collaborative effort has systematically established a universal policy framework, anchored by the "Ten Policies for Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Beijing". Over the past year, the development of these demonstration zones has yielded a series of tangible achievements, delivering youth apartments, dedicated start-up spaces, and vibrant neighborhoods that currently serve over 180,000 young talents.

Looking ahead, Beijing will develop 30,000 sets (rooms) of youth talent apartments featuring comprehensive supporting amenities strategically located along the subway lines. The city will also construct 3 million square meters of youth innovation spaces, assemble a team of 3,000 service managers, and establish 20 youth talent vitality districts alongside a series of networking salons. Furthermore, the municipality will grant priority processing for household registration and work residence permits, backed by a 30-billion-yuan development fund. These concerted efforts are designed to build a highly youth-friendly policy ecosystem, fully unleashing the innovative and creative vitality of the next generation.

To build a stage for outstanding young minds from around the world to pursue their dreams, the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau, in conjunction with the Beijing Municipal United Front Work Department, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, the Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, China Communist Youth League Beijing Committee, and the Beijing Overseas Talents Center, has jointly unveiled the World Youth Talent Empowerment Program. This initiative introduces five major "Beijing Tour" brand projects: the Beijing Tour for Overseas Talents, the Beijing Tour for Young Scientists, the Beijing Tour for Overseas PhDs, the Beijing Tour for Overseas Returnees, and the Beijing Tour for International Students in Beijing. Each year, these programs aim to attract over 30,000 outstanding young talents from home and abroad to visit, exchange ideas, intern, practice, and launch businesses in Beijing. Beijing extends a sincere invitation to young talents worldwide to keep their appointment with the city, to write a glorious chapter of their youth and to create a brilliant future together on this land of opportunity!

Discovering Innovative Talents, Empowering Future Development

The Forum marked the release of the Global Youth Science and Technology Innovation Development Report 2026, authored by the research group at the Institute of Area Studies of Peking University. The report focuses on building an "Innovative Talent Discovery Mechanism" and establishing a robust service network to support the innovative development of new-quality talent. It conducts an in-depth analysis of global best practices in scientific and technological innovation and new-quality talent cultivation in major innovative cities worldwide, while exploring pioneering models for the discovery and cultivation of international young visionaries.

Beijing is continuously refining its exemplary ecosystem for innovation-driven development, and striving to build a thriving hub where young professionals can live comfortably, work efficiently, and seamlessly fulfill their aspirations. The Forum will establish a more diverse exchange platform for the cooperation and development of global youth, paving a broader path for young talents to pursue their dreams through innovation and entrepreneurship. We hope to see young talents harness the wisdom and perseverance of youth to scale new heights in science and technology, dedicating themselves to strategic emerging and future industries, and writing a splendid chapter of youth that defines our era.