On September 4, the final of the "Maker Shanghai 2026" and the 11th "Maker China" Shanghai Small and Medium Enterprise Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held at the Ledong Hongqiao Sports Complex in Changning.Leading science and technology enterprises from across the city competed on the stage for the final showdown.

This year's competition focuses on key tracks in strategic emerging industries, covering eight major areas: electronic information, high-end equipment, advanced materials, life and health, artificial intelligence, digital economy (metaverse), new energy and green low-carbon, and fashion consumption (smart terminals). It aims to accelerate the "critical leap" from laboratory to industrialization of cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements.Since its launch in May this year, the competition has received 1,186 valid applications, with 678 companies advancing to the semi-finals. After multiple rounds of online preliminary and offline semi-final selections, 20 enterprise projects and 10 startup projects ultimately stood out and reached the final stage.

Compared to previous competitions, this year's competition significantly enhanced its focus on cutting-edge technologies, showcasing a number of original projects that possess key core technologies and independent intellectual property rights.At the finals, the top 30 projects presented their work in a high-level roadshow, highlighting technological breakthroughs in high-end equipment fields such as core components of communication systems and ultra-precision manufacturing, cutting-edge achievements in biomedicine such as novel cell therapies and functional therapeutic drugs, and explorations in emerging fields such as vehicle-to-energy batteries, brain-like intelligence, and silicon-based anode materials. This comprehensive display of the core strengths of Shanghai's innovative enterprises in tackling key challenges was evident.

Expert judges from diverse industry sectors, including leading technology companies, industry associations, and investment institutions, conducted professional reviews and verifications across multiple dimensions, including technological innovation, business models, and market prospects.In addition to on-site assessment and judging, the competition also provided in-depth services such as project roadshow guidance and precise industry-finance matchmaking, promoting efficient collaboration among policy, capital, platforms, and talent, and helping to overcome obstacles to the industrialization of innovative achievements.

With its AI-powered smart unmanned catering end-to-end solution, Shanghai Shiwei Lingchu Technology Development Co Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Changning-based Xixiang Technology, successfully entered the top 30 during the finals."The industry recognition of our project is incredibly encouraging for the entire team. The positive feedback from the market and potential investors has further strengthened our determination to stay focused in the smart catering sector," said Zhai Zhigang, manager of the company's asset management department."The judges provided many practical development suggestions, reminding us to further strengthen the technological empowerment of home catering scenarios and refine product precision, pointing the way for subsequent iterations and optimizations of the project." In Zhai's view, this competition further enhanced its market exposure."We hope to leverage the competition platform to allow more market players to understand and accept the fully unmanned operation model of the cooking process, and see its practical value in terms of food safety upgrades and cost reduction and efficiency improvement." He added that Changning District's science and technology innovation support policies in areas such as industry application scenario matching, special funds applications, project application, and technology transformation provide tangible development support for AI-enabled real economy enterprises.

The outstanding teams that emerge from this final competition will represent Shanghai in the "Maker China" national competition, vying for a place among the top 500 enterprises and top 300 entrepreneurs, and competing for the top 50 and top 10 honors nationwide. This competition was jointly hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization and the Changning District People's Government, and jointly organized by the Shanghai Municipal Office for Promoting the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the Shanghai Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Development Service Center, and the Changning District Science and Technology Commission.