The 2025 Pujiang Innovation Forum commenced in Shanghai on Sept 20 — bringing together over 550 participants from 45 countries and regions. 

The forum's theme, "Sharing Innovation and Shaping the Future: Building an Open and Cooperative Global Sci-Tech Community", reflected China's commitment to fostering global scientific and technological cooperation. 

This year's three-day agenda included a main forum, 30 thematic sessions and five flagship events: the InnoMatch Tech-Matching Fair, the WeStart Entrepreneurial Investment Conference, the Young Scientists Roundtable, the International Talent Roundtable and the closing ceremony of the "China-Belarus Sci-Tech Innovation Year". 

Notably, Belarus was the guest country of honor, showcasing its scientific achievements and fostering bilateral cooperation. The forum also highlighted regional collaboration, with Liaoning province — the guest province of honor — presenting its technological innovations and hosting discussions on new energy and materials. 

Focusing on emerging industries, InnoMatch Tech-Matching Fair, a global platform that connects technology demand with innovators, capital and enterprises to speed up commercialization, released 10,000 technology requests and 2,000 job opportunities, supported by over 20 billion yuan ($2.81 billion) in corporate investment. 

It also featured more than 80 first-launch products and demonstration scenarios in frontier sectors.

The WeStart Entrepreneurial Investment Conference emphasized global startup collaborations. Among 1,487 applicants — across biomedicines, integrated circuits, AI and future industries — 100 top projects participated in roadshows, seeking investment from hundreds of international venture capital, banking and insurance institutions.

Leading scientists — including Nobel Prize, Wolf Prize and Turing Award winners — discussed artificial intelligence, quantum technology, controlled nuclear fusion and embodied intelligence. 

The sessions aimed to inspire innovation while providing practical insights for industries and research collaborations.

Since its inception in 2008, the Pujiang Innovation Forum has hosted 18 editions — evolving into a vital platform for inspiring ideas, spreading innovation culture and motivating scientific creativity.