The Future of Hard Technology in Xiamen's Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Holding the "Torch" of Technology | WAVES New Wave 2025
WAVES New Wave 2025 invites you to embrace the "New Era" of China's venture capital industry.
This is the new era of China's venture capital industry. Currently, the Chinese venture capital market is not only at the turning point of the cycle bottoming out but also in the in - depth stage of structural transformation. In the new ecosystem dominated by policies, with high concentration of state - owned assets and capital, only by conforming to the trend and making flexible adjustments can we seize certain opportunities amidst uncertainties.
From June 11th to 12th, at the Liangzhu Culture and Art Center in Hangzhou, the 36Kr WAVES New Wave 2025 Conference, themed "New Era", will gather top investors in the venture capital field, founders of cutting - edge enterprises, as well as scientists, creators, and scholars deeply involved in technology, innovation, and business. They will jointly discuss cutting - edge issues such as AI technological innovation, the wave of globalization, and value re - evaluation, analyze their views on business ideals and the future world, and together discuss, search for, and embrace the "New Era" of China's venture capital industry.
On the afternoon of June 11th, the CEO of 36Kr had a dialogue with the 2025 Xiamen University Torch Entrepreneurship Growth Camp.
Photos of the on - site event
Below is the transcript of the dialogue, edited by 36Kr ——
Feng Dagang: Most of you here are teachers, so I'm a bit nervous seeing you all. As you know, we may soon announce a cooperation between the two sides, and there will be a launch ceremony. Before the launch ceremony, let me give a brief introduction to help you understand Xiamen University, Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone, and our entrepreneurship growth camp.
First, let me ask Director Guo. The Torch High - tech Zone has always been the core engine for the development of high - tech industries in Xiamen and even the whole of Fujian in terms of entrepreneurship and innovation. Could you please introduce the current core industrial directions of the high - tech zone? What's the overall scale? There's a popular term called "chain - leading enterprises". Which well - known chain - leading enterprises do we have? Thank you.
Guo Zhiyong: Thank you, Mr. Feng. First of all, I'd like to welcome all entrepreneurs to today's conference. I'm Guo Zhiyong from the Planning and Finance Bureau of Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone Management Committee. Let me briefly start by introducing the development of Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone. Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone is one of the first - batch national torch high - tech zones established under the "National Torch Program" and is also one of the only three torch high - tech zones in the country that retain the "Torch" brand. After more than 30 years of development, in the latest national ranking, Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone has ranked 14th. Our next goal is to enter the first echelon.
As we all know, Xiamen is a "small but refined" city. Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone, with less than 3% of the city's land area, has created 40% of the city's total industrial output value and 70% of the software and information industry. According to the strategic layout of Xiamen's "4 + 4+6" modern industrial system, Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone undertakes the construction tasks of six 100 - billion - yuan industrial chains, namely software and information services, flat panel display, computer and communication equipment, power and electrical appliances, semiconductors and integrated circuits, and new energy.
Over the years, around these industrial chains, we have successively introduced some chain - leading enterprises. For example, in the new energy field, there are chain - leading enterprises represented by CATL and Hichen Energy Storage. In the flat panel display field, well - known enterprises such as Tianma Microelectronics, AU Optronics, and TPV Technology are the representatives. In the power and electrical appliances sector, we have introduced many internationally well - known brands such as ABB, Huadian Switchgear, and Schneider. We have also nurtured many listed companies and specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "little giants" enterprises. It can be said that the Torch High - tech Zone is the leading position for Xiamen's industries, especially the industrial and software information industries.
I've briefly introduced the basic situation of the Torch High - tech Zone. I also welcome all entrepreneurs to come to Xiamen and start their businesses and grow in the Torch Zone. Thank you.
Feng Dagang: Thank you, Director Guo. My first job more than 20 years ago was at Silicon Valley Magazine under the China Association for Science and Technology, where I specialized in covering various high - tech zones in China. I visited many high - tech zones at that time. Today, I can see that the overall planning direction of Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone is very good and it's an excellent one.
Next, let's invite Mr. Liu. Through years of development, Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park has established a complete ecosystem. As an important manager of the national - level incubation platform, how do you view the competitiveness of this park? Which industries is it mainly targeted at? And how will our platform cooperate with the Xiamen University Torch Entrepreneurship Camp to achieve common development?
Liu Aiqin: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you very much to 36Kr for giving me this opportunity to introduce Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park. I'm Liu Aiqin from Xiamen High - tech Entrepreneurship Center. Before answering the questions, I'll briefly introduce Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park and then answer the host's questions.
Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park is a park established by Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone. It mainly undertakes the incubation and cultivation of small and medium - sized high - tech enterprises in the high - tech zone and the transformation of university research results. The former name of Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park was "Xiamen Overseas Chinese Scholars Entrepreneurship Park", which was initially mainly serving overseas scholars returning to China to start businesses. Later, as the service scope expanded, we encouraged all enterprises that meet the industrial orientation of the Torch High - tech Zone to start businesses and innovate in the park. So the name was changed from the original "Xiamen Overseas Chinese Scholars Entrepreneurship Park" to "Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park". Currently, the management and service institution of Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park is the Xiamen High - tech Entrepreneurship Center where I work. It is a national - level entrepreneurship center that has gone through 30 years of development since its establishment in 1996.
Our current main industries are strategic emerging industries such as new materials, new energy, the Internet of Things, biomedicine, high - end manufacturing, and the digital economy, which are the industries we mainly cultivate. Just now, Mr. Feng asked about our competitiveness. I've thought about it and I believe our competitive advantages can be generally manifested in four aspects:
First, it's the advantage of brand effect. After 30 years of development, Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park has built 4 national - level incubators and 1 provincial - level incubator. Just in terms of the number of incubators, it accounts for half of Xiamen's. In addition, in the recent comprehensive evaluation of national overseas Chinese scholars' entrepreneurship parks, Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park ranks 4th in the national comprehensive competitiveness and has ranked first in the national regional contribution influence for three consecutive years. Also, because we've done a good job in gathering overseas talents, we rank about second in the country. Due to these brand effects, our park has become the top choice for most people who want to start businesses in Xiamen. This is the first advantage.
Second, it's the advantage of industrial agglomeration. When it comes to the advantage of industrial agglomeration, I'd like to share some data with you. Currently, there are more than 3,500 enterprises being served in Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park, and more than 1,000 enterprises have graduated. In a short period, we've nurtured 9 listed companies, 430 national high - tech enterprises, 230 specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "little giants" enterprises, and more than 60 enterprises with an output value of over 100 million yuan. These data show that we've built a good industrial ecological environment, which I think is particularly beneficial for start - up enterprises in our park. They can effectively reduce their operating costs, innovation costs, and optimize their talent costs, further improving their success rate in entrepreneurship.
Third, it's the advantage of services. Currently, our park has built 4 major service platforms. The first one is the public technology service platform, the second is the science and technology financial service platform, the third is the entrepreneurship guidance service platform, and the fourth is the human resources service platform. These service platforms provide one - stop services for the entire life cycle of all enterprises in our park, regardless of their development stage. This is our service advantage.
Fourth, it's the advantage of investment and financing. Our center has built a relatively complete investment and financing industrial chain including direct investment in entrepreneurship and fund investment. Although the fund scale of our center can't be compared with that of Hangzhou Capital, as a characteristic park, the scale of the funds we participate in has exceeded 1.3 billion yuan, and the cumulative number of investment projects has exceeded 300.
The above four points are what we consider the four major advantages of Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park.
Our entrepreneurship growth camp has been running for 6 years since 2019. Undoubtedly, our center and its affiliated platforms will continue to support the projects in the entrepreneurship growth camp that meet our requirements, providing them with entrepreneurship consulting services, carrier services, policy services, and even some professional services. In addition, our affiliated High - tech Investment Company can provide financial services and entrepreneurship guidance services for entrepreneurs. In short, we hope to work together with you to create brilliance. Thank you all. We also hope that the investors and entrepreneurs here will have the opportunity to visit Xiamen. Thank you.
Feng Dagang: I understand what you mean. It's a bit like a school. For example, why are some of the best middle schools in Beijing always so good? First, they recruit the best students, which is the strategy of selecting the best; second, they have the best teachers; third, they have the best system. With these three factors combined, it's impossible not to produce good students. So I think this is the core point for Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone to maintain its competitiveness.
As the secretary - general of the Alumni Association of Xiamen University, Teacher Wang, Xiamen University is an important domestic base for cultivating scientific research talents. I'd like to know how Xiamen University can leverage its advantages in scientific research resources, talent resources, etc. on the platform of the Xiamen University Torch Entrepreneurship Camp, a platform for industry - university - research cooperation, to promote effective linkage among universities, high - tech investment companies, the Torch High - tech Zone, and advanced enterprises?
Wang Zhilan: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Wang Zhilan, the secretary - general of the Alumni Association of Xiamen University. As we all know, universities are an important part of the national innovation system. As a "Double First - Class" construction university, Xiamen University has, for more than 100 years since its establishment, adhered to the national goals and strategic needs, continuously optimized its disciplinary layout, and built an important global talent center and innovation high - ground. So far, it has sent more than 600,000 talents to the country and society. Xiamen Torch High - tech Zone and Xiamen High - tech Investment are important engines for regional industrial upgrading and capital empowerment in Xiamen. In 2023, there was a very good opportunity. Xiamen University and the Torch High - tech Zone made a top - level plan, giving full play to the university's role as the source of innovation, and jointly launched the "Xiamen University Torch Growth Camp and Nanyang Entrepreneurship Camp". By building a platform for the "two - way journey" between the alma mater and teachers, students, and alumni, and for the in - depth integration of technology and capital, it promotes the transformation of achievements and the integration of industry - university - research - application, and promotes the organic connection between the education chain, talent chain, industrial chain, and innovation chain.
This project has been running for three years since 2023. We've continuously improved the cooperation mechanism with the Torch High - tech Zone and made the event a better project with a wider radiation scope, greater influence, and more refined services. In the first year, the event was targeted at Xiamen University's current teachers, students, and alumni, focusing on 5 key fields. Last year, we went beyond Xiamen and to the whole country, collecting projects from 43 cities across the country and 123 domestic and foreign universities. Finally, more than 30 hardcore projects were selected for the entrepreneurship growth camp. This year, we'll continue to go deep into regions such as the Beijing - Tianjin - Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta, establish cooperation points, and discover high - quality projects. In this process, our ability to serve enterprises and alumni has also been continuously enhanced. Through various forms such as entrepreneurship public courses and the entrepreneurship growth camp, we provide all - round guidance for entrepreneurship teams in terms of entrepreneurship training, industry - finance docking, and industrial chain cooperation. By pooling the strength of multiple parties, we accurately empower innovative talents and help innovative enterprises grow.
In the future, we'll operate the Xiamen University Torch Entrepreneurship Growth Camp better with a more open mindset, broader vision, and more innovative working mechanism. We hope that more projects and teams can achieve transformation, implementation, and growth on our platform. We also hope that through the active cooperation of all parties, we can contribute the "Xiamen University - Torch" wisdom to the country's scientific and technological self - reliance and self - improvement. Thank you.
Feng Dagang: Thank you, Teacher Wang. Is it different from what you thought? Our universities not only teach students but also engage in industries. We've seen that Stanford University in foreign countries has done very well in investment. It's actually the same here.
Next is Teacher Li. In the key link of scientific and technological achievement transformation, how can Xiamen University promote the real connection between laboratory scientific research achievements and industries through systematic innovation and reform? And how will it improve the transformation efficiency of scientific research achievements, especially in the hard - technology field, through interdisciplinary cooperation mechanisms in the future?
Li Cheng: Let me briefly introduce the combination of Xiamen University and the industrial end. I summarize it mainly from four dimensions. The first dimension is to cooperate with regional leading incubation platforms and leading enterprises to establish R & D centers, contribute the professional strength of our school's basic research, further deepen the transformation of technological achievements, and empower enterprises, thus realizing the connection from basic research to pilot testing to mass production.
The second dimension is that the top - notch scientific research teams of Xiamen University assist enterprises, enabling our school's scientific research strength to empower enterprises in solving technical difficulties.
Thirdly, we believe that innovation comes before entrepreneurship. The innovation in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements at Xiamen University is mainly to create cross - disciplinary integration. For example, the Future Display Research Institute jointly established by our school and Xiamen City focuses on Micro - LED display technology, concentrating on the development and transfer of industrial common technologies, forward - looking technologies, and display integration technologies, and promoting the whole - chain collaborative innovation of "market - oriented, technology - breakthrough, and production - line integration". And the Flexible Electronics Research Institute, starting from three directions of flexible electronic materials, bio - health electronics, and intelligent electronic systems, with the vision of "oriented towards life and health", has established "three institutes and one center", aiming to build a world - class, uniquely Xiamen - University - featured flexible electronics innovation high - ground, a high - level talent training base, and a health electronics industry incubation carrier.
Finally, we have our own entrepreneurship teams and Xiamen University's tutors who can provide