Experience the vitality of youth innovation and creativity at the Zhongguancun Forum

(Source: Qianlong.com)

As the technological revolution intertwines with great power competition, the high-tech sector has become the forefront and main battlefield of international competition, profoundly reshaping the global order and development landscape. In this critical contest, the power of youth-driven technological innovation is rapidly converging, forming an unstoppable tide that resonates with the pulse of national development, striving to seize the commanding heights of technological competition and future development. The annual Zhongguancun Forum has become a stage to showcase the vitality of youth innovation and creativity. As more and more young people integrate their personal sparks into the starry river of an innovative China, more breakthroughs from “0 to 1” will emerge, and the paths to extend and advance “1” will become increasingly broad.

On March 27, the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum will welcome its “Artificial Intelligence Theme Day.” At the core forum of the theme day, the global recruitment for the AI25 Youth Vanguard selection will be launched. The new generation of AI power, represented by young scientists and entrepreneurs, will engage in in-depth discussions around OpenClaw and AI open source, while entrepreneurs in embodied intelligence will hold high-density dialogues on cutting-edge issues such as “Will human-machine collaboration become a reality?” The presence of youth at the Zhongguancun Forum allows us to feel the vibrant force of frontline innovation breakthroughs.

Young people are typically more sensitive to new technologies and ideas; they can examine problems from different angles, discover potential innovation points through research, and identify the challenges faced in the advancement of technological innovation through targeted investigations. As the technological revolution intertwines with great power competition, the high-tech sector has become the forefront and main battlefield of international competition, profoundly reshaping the global order and development landscape. In this critical contest, the power of youth-driven technological innovation is rapidly converging, forming an unstoppable tide that resonates with the pulse of national development, striving to seize the commanding heights of technological competition and future development. The annual Zhongguancun Forum has become a stage to showcase the vitality of youth innovation and creativity.

Last year’s forum site was “overloaded” with robots, allowing us to deeply experience the technological charm of Beijing as the “AI Capital.” This year’s forum will provide a more genuine experience of how the evolution of artificial intelligence empowers various industries. For instance, an AI “translator” will be on duty throughout, expanding its service languages from Chinese and English to eight languages including French, Russian, and Spanish, enabling seamless communication for guests from all directions. The robotic dining bar has also opened its doors, evolving from a single coffee-making machine last year to a collaborative setup that can prepare full meals this year. The exploration and down-to-earth efforts of young people are indispensable behind these artificial intelligence applications. This technology gathering, featuring thousands of guests from over 100 countries and regions, is not only a national platform to showcase China’s technological innovation strength but also a “training ground” and “showcase” for youth to pursue their dreams.

During the years when artificial intelligence has become the core topic of the forum, youth have always stood at the forefront of the innovation wave. Last year’s forum featured 17 high-end forums to build a friendly ecosystem for youth scientific innovation: the release of the “AI100 Youth Talent” training program to outline growth roadmaps for top talents in the AI field; hosting the “AI for Science” youth forum, allowing young scientists to share their breakthroughs on center stage; the “Artificial Intelligence Leading Talent Development Forum” launched the “Beijing Youth Artificial Intelligence Academy” and released the “Wisdom Star Youth Talent Program,” establishing a full-chain training system from enlightenment to industrial practice. This allows youth to continually absorb nutrients and thrive on the fertile ground of technological innovation.

The forum’s name, Zhongguancun, is inherently connected with youth. In the 1980s, a group of young researchers led by Chen Chunxian ventured out of their institutions to establish the country’s first private technology organization in Haidian, Beijing, igniting the spark of “Zhongguancun Electronic Street.” In the 1990s, young entrepreneurs like Liu Chuanzhi wrote the legend of the first generation of technology companies here. Entering the new century, waves of “returnees” brought back global perspectives and opened new frontiers in the internet wave. The Zhongguancun Forum was established in this context to provide a platform for youth to take flight. In 2009, the third forum set the theme as “Innovative Entrepreneurial Ability and Entrepreneurial Spirit,” bringing the growth of young entrepreneurs into focus. By 2012, the number of newly established enterprises in Zhongguancun had exceeded 4,400, with entrepreneurs under 34 accounting for 47%, marking the younger generation as a backbone of innovation.

Today, allowing young talent to take the lead and be the main characters has far surpassed the concept of Zhongguancun. By 2025, more than 2,200 project leaders under 45 supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation will account for over 80% of the total number of project leaders. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Beijing will continue to improve the discovery, selection, and training mechanisms for young talent, implement special programs for basic research talent, and explore long-term stable support models for young talent, ensuring they can focus on their research without concerns and take on heavy research responsibilities. In Beijing, young people engaged in technological innovation focus on solving technical challenges in research competitions and identifying breakthrough points in the field of technological innovation reform. From “Tiangong” to the ocean, from campus to society, and from laboratory to production line, this “youth power” is driving the “implementation” of scientific research innovation, contributing “youth wisdom” to the development of new productive forces.

Spring is in the air in Beijing, and innovation is flourishing. As more and more young people integrate their personal sparks into the starry river of an innovative China, more breakthroughs from “0 to 1” will emerge, and the paths to extend and advance “1” will become increasingly broad.