China-U.S. Makers Co-Creating the Future

　　On June 19, the 10th-anniversary celebration of the “Chunhui Cup” China Overseas Chinese Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and the launch ceremony of the 2015 U.S.-China Young Makers Competition were held in Pittsburgh, USA. Representatives from academia and the business community in both China and the United States unanimously agreed that young entrepreneurs and makers in the two countries are riding a favorable wave and are emerging as a major new highlight of people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich stated: “China has already become one of the world’s innovation hubs. We are thrilled to contribute to the maker movement and cultural exchanges among young people in both China and the United States. Through our cutting-edge technologies, global perspective, and international resources, we aim to support innovation and build bridges for international dialogue and collaboration among young innovators from both countries.”

　　As one of the key ancillary events to the High-Level Consultations on China–U.S. People-to-People Exchanges, this year’s China–U.S. Young Makers Competition is themed “Co‑Creating the Future,” focusing on sustainable development areas such as community, education, health, transportation, environmental protection, and energy. By integrating innovative design concepts with cutting-edge technologies, the competition aims to develop entirely new products or applications that deliver both industrial and social value. According to the competition schedule, the winning teams from each regional division in China and the United States will converge in China in mid-August to compete in the final round.

　　Over the past decade, the “Chunhui Cup” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition has selected a total of 1,654 innovation and entrepreneurship projects led by overseas-educated professionals. More than 300 of these projects have since been established and incubated in China, spanning such fields as electronic information, biomedicine, new materials, and new energy. Among the shortlisted projects from the competition’s previous nine editions, those originating from the United States accounted for 41.5%; this year also marked the inaugural addition of a North American regional division.

　　Pittsburgh was once a renowned industrial city in the United States, famously known as the “Steel City.” However, industrial growth also brought thick clouds of smoke and soot to the city. As the steel industry declined, Pittsburgh’s development faltered for a time. Local residents told reporters that today, thanks to finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, Pittsburgh—situated in America’s “Rust Belt”—has successfully transformed into a nationally recognized hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, reaping both prosperity and environmental sustainability. This year, the launch ceremony for the China–U.S. Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program was held here, lending the event a particularly special significance.

　　Lei Bao, a current MBA student at the University of Bridgeport in the United States, is a winner of the 9th “Chunhui Cup.” Her award‑winning project will soon be implemented in Nanjing. Through her participation in the “Chunhui Cup” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, Lei Bao has come to deeply appreciate that China is currently in a golden period for entrepreneurship, particularly thanks to the government’s robust policies supporting mass entrepreneurship and innovation. She notes that cooperation between China and the United States has evolved from economics to innovation and creativity, with ample opportunities for mutual learning and cross‑fertilization. China can draw on the U.S.’s experience in cultivating entrepreneurs across society, while the U.S. can gain a firsthand understanding of Chinese capabilities in innovation and entrepreneurship. Taking the mobile internet as an example, Chinese innovators are far more confident in this field, whereas the U.S. may need to learn from China—thus further fostering fair competition and equal dialogue between the two countries.

　　Nathan Smirlyak, a biomedical engineer at the University of Pittsburgh and a representative of young American makers, told our reporter in an interview that although the United States and China differ in their histories, cultures, and stages of development, these differences also present opportunities for mutual complementarity and cooperation. The convergence of ideas between young people from both countries in innovation and entrepreneurship will help deepen mutual understanding and cultivate a new generation of youth who are both innovative and globally minded. He expressed full confidence that this collaborative momentum will have a positive and profound impact on the next generations of both nations. More importantly, in cutting-edge fields such as new energy, the joint efforts of the United States and China can offer innovative solutions to the common challenges facing countries around the world.