On June 16–17, the Changning District qualifiers of the 6th Shanghai Talent Global Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition were held at the Shanghai Hongqiao One‑Stop Service Center for Overseas Talents. The competition received over 260 project entries in total; after a rigorous preliminary screening, 82 high‑quality projects advanced to the on‑site pitch and Q&A session.

As a benchmark municipal‑level talent event in Shanghai, this competition closely aligned with the city's and Changning District's key industrial layouts, featuring six major tracks: artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, high‑end equipment, biomedicine, green & low‑carbon, and fashion & consumer goods. It provided a professional platform for innovative and entrepreneurial talent from home and abroad to showcase their achievements and facilitate project matchmaking.

To ensure the high‑quality execution of this district‑level qualifier, Changning District coordinated the entire chain of work including project solicitation, pre‑competition training, event organization, and post‑competition landing support. During the preparatory phase, the district collaborated with key local enterprises and foreign‑facing functional platforms to broaden project sourcing. For recruitment, a dual‑track mechanism of "district‑wide promotion + targeted overseas outreach" was implemented: leveraging the district's official account matrix, sub‑districts, industrial parks, and local universities for domestic project screening and guidance, while partnering with Hongqiao Haichuang Bay Super Partners, the American Universities in China Association, and overseas alumni associations including Imperial College London to extend targeted invitations to overseas startup teams. Resources were allocated in a coordinated manner to achieve a balanced number of registrations across all six tracks. Participating teams brought together a large pool of returnees and high‑level R&D personnel with master's or doctoral degrees, with projects covering cutting‑edge fields such as AI scenario applications, new materials, digital economy, and life health.

Pre‑competition training sessions were held at the East Hongqiao International Youth Sci‑Tech Innovation Center, integrating four major resource pillars – policy, finance, incubation, and venture capital. Experts provided guidance on pitch delivery, market prospects, and fundraising, while entrepreneurs exchanged practical insights with the guests. Going forward, regular entrepreneurship courses will be offered to continuously enhance the competitive capabilities of the participating teams.

The qualifiers adopted a format of "offline roadshow + on‑site Q&A." The judging panel comprised industry technical experts, venture capital investors, and human resources specialists. The judges scored projects quantitatively across multiple dimensions – including technological innovativeness, feasibility of implementation, market competitiveness, and overall team strength – and also offered professional advice and answers to questions based on their practical experience. The district‑level winning projects will represent Changning in the municipal‑level competition, competing alongside top‑quality projects from around the world.

Changning District is committed to building a highland for overseas talent to innovate and start businesses, relying on Hongqiao Haichuang Bay to provide full‑chain entrepreneurial services. Award‑winning teams at the municipal level of the 6th competition will enjoy a range of support policies, including targeted investment matchmaking, credit lines of up to 10 million yuan, rent‑free office space, and talent housing amenities. After the competition, Changning will continue to track the advancing projects, provide targeted connections to financial capital and sci‑tech incubation carriers, deliver full‑cycle entrepreneurial services, and consistently foster a favorable talent ecosystem that attracts and retains outstanding individuals from near and far.

This competition was guided by the Office of the Leading Group for Talent Work of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai Municipal Talent Work Bureau, hosted by the Shanghai Global Talents Development Promotion Association, and organized by the Changning District Talent Work Bureau.