Shanghai expo on entrepreneurship and innovation kicks off

The first World Innovation and Entrepreneurship Expo opens in Jiading district, Shanghai on May 19. [Photo/tongji.edu.cn]

The first World Innovation and Entrepreneurship Expo (WIEE) raised its curtain in Jiading district, Shanghai on May 19.

Jointly organized by Tongji University and the Jiading district government, the expo aims to gather global innovative and entrepreneurial resources, nurture more talents, promote global exchanges of innovative technology and talents, and accelerate the technological innovation and the development of emerging industries.

Wu Zhiqiang, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and vice-president of Tongji University, said that the expo can strongly support Shanghai's goal of becoming an international scientific and technological innovation center, and provide global innovation and entrepreneurship with Chinese solutions.

The expo will run until May 2019. Innovation-themed summits and forums were held from May 19 to 26. Various competitions, such as Maker Faire, will be launched from July to September. Activities themed on construction, transportation, manufacturing, economy and other topics, will be offered from January to May 2019.

About 111 exhibition halls displaying innovative future lifestyle products will be available throughout the expo. The exhibitors include Chinese and overseas cities, companies, universities and organizations, such as Miami in the United States, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the automotive giant BMW.

A World Innovation and Entrepreneurship Declaration (Shanghai Declaration) for WIEE was also issued by attendees of the event on May 19.

The declaration claims that the WIEE will become a regular event worldwide, and a global innovation and entrepreneurship organization is planned to be built, which hopes to increase global cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The largest pavilion at the WIEE, jointly established by the MIT Media Lab and the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University, demonstrates the latest data technologies used in the future city. [Photo/tongji.edu.cn]

A two-story transparent exhibition hall is built by UNIQLO to exhibit its UT2018 series of creative products at the WIEE. [Photo/tongji.edu.cn]

An automatic pure electric vehicle designed by MIT, which can carry people or goods and deliver mail and packages during rush hour, is exhibited at the WIEE. [Photo/tongji.edu.cn]