The 16th Suzhou Entrepreneurship Week for International Elites kicked off, Suzhou aiming to build a talent-friendly city

SUZHOU, China, Jul. 12, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

On July 10, 2024, the 16th Suzhou Entrepreneurship Week for International Elites & the 5th Suzhou Scientists Day commenced at the Suzhou International Expo Center. A total of 3,125 talents attended, bringing with them 3,082 projects. Suzhou announced its “1+8” series of policies aimed at creating a talent-friendly city. The opening ceremony was attended by 25 domestic and international academicians. Liu Xiaotao, the Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Committee of the CPC, delivered a speech.

Image: Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Suzhou Entrepreneurship Week for International Elites and the 5th Suzhou Scientists Day

The commitment to education and respect for talent is deeply ingrained in Suzhou’s city culture. By the end of 2023, Suzhou had boasted a talent pool of 3.9 million people, with 420,000 being high-level talents. Suzhou has been selected for 12 consecutive years as the “Most Attractive Chinese City in the Eyes of Foreign Experts” and has been rated as “China’s Best Talent-Attracting City” for four consecutive years. The Suzhou Entrepreneurship Week for International Elites, a hallmark of Suzhou’s talent recruitment efforts, has been held 16 times, attracting over 40,000 global high-end talents and resulting in nearly 13,000 settled projects, the Organizing Committee stated.

At the opening ceremony, Suzhou introduced its series of talent-friendly city construction policies, focusing on the stages of introduction, cultivation, motivation, utilization, and support. The latest “1+8” talent policies aim to create a more attractive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship. Representatives of top talents were awarded the first batch of “Suzhou Talent City Courtesy Cards,” which offer integrated services such as free admission to garden attractions, green channels for medical care, and VIP access at airports and high-speed rail stations, addressing the “small but important” needs of talents.

During the event, certificates were awarded to major innovative teams. Projects such as the Suzhou Academician Station Construction Project, the awards for the global finals of the 2024 “Win in Suzhou, Win the Future” Venture Contest for International Entrepreneurs, and the unveiling of the Suzhou Global Venture Incubation Center were also announced.