China and the U.S. co-create the future for makers.

On June 19, the 10th anniversary of the "Chunhui Cup" China Study Abroad Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and the launch ceremony of the 2015 China-U.S. Youth Maker Competition were held in Pittsburgh, USA. Representatives from academia and business from both China and the U.S. unanimously expressed that young entrepreneurs and makers from both countries are seizing a great opportunity and are becoming a new highlight of cultural exchange between China and the U.S. Intel CEO Krzanich said, "China has become one of the global innovation centers, and we are excited to contribute to the maker movement and cultural exchange between the youth of China and the U.S. We hope to support innovation through the company's advanced technology, global vision, and international resources, and build a bridge for international exchange and cooperation for young innovators from both countries."

The China-U.S. Youth Maker Competition, as an important supporting activity of high-level consultations on cultural exchanges between China and the U.S., this year focuses on the theme of "Creating the Future Together," paying attention to sustainable development fields such as community, education, health, transportation, as well as environmental protection and energy, combining innovative design concepts and cutting-edge technology to create new products or applications that have both industrial and social value. According to the competition process, the winning teams from various sub-regions in China and the U.S. will compete in the final stage of the competition in mid-August this year in China.

Over the past 10 years, the "Chunhui Cup" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition has selected 1,654 innovation and entrepreneurship projects from study abroad personnel, of which more than 300 projects have been incubated domestically, covering multiple fields such as electronic information, biomedicine, new materials, and new energy. Among the shortlisted projects from the previous nine competitions, projects from study abroad personnel in the U.S. accounted for 41.5%, and this year, a North American sub-region has been added for the first time.

Pittsburgh was once a famous industrial city in the U.S., known as the "Steel City." However, the development of industry also brought heavy smoke and dust to the city. With the decline of the steel industry, Pittsburgh's development once faded. Locals told reporters that today, relying on finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, Pittsburgh, located in the U.S. "Rust Belt," has successfully transformed into a well-known innovation and entrepreneurship capital in the U.S., achieving a prosperous and green "double harvest." The launch ceremony of the China-U.S. Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project is held here this year, which has a special significance.

Lei Bao, a Master of Business Administration student at Bridgeport University in the U.S. and a winner of the ninth "Chunhui Cup," said her award-winning project will soon be implemented in Nanjing. Through participating in the "Chunhui Cup" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, Lei Bao deeply realizes that the domestic market is currently in an opportunity period for entrepreneurship, especially with the national policy support for mass entrepreneurship and innovation. Lei Bao said that the cooperation between China and the U.S. is shifting from economic aspects to innovation and creativity, and there are many areas where both sides can learn from each other. China can learn from the U.S. in cultivating entrepreneurs across society, which also helps the American people to closely experience the innovative and entrepreneurial capabilities of the Chinese people. For example, in the field of mobile internet, Chinese people are more confident, while the U.S. has to learn from China, further promoting equal competition and dialogue between China and the U.S.

Nansen Smith, a biomedical engineer from the University of Pittsburgh and a representative of American young makers, said in an interview with our reporter that although there are differences in historical culture and development stages between the U.S. and China, these differences also mean opportunities for complementarity and cooperation. The intersection of ideas between young people in both countries in innovation and entrepreneurship is conducive to enhancing mutual understanding and cultivating a group of young talents with innovative awareness and international vision. This force of cooperation will undoubtedly have a positive and profound impact on the next generation of both countries, and he is very confident about this. More importantly, in various cutting-edge fields such as new energy, the U.S. and China can join hands to provide innovative solutions to the common challenges faced by countries around the world.