HZICC: Global appeal: Hangzhou as the first choice for talents

HANGZHOU, China, Nov. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hangzhou's annual Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition for Overseas Talents, themed "Creating the World • Sailing to the Future", is a concentrated demonstration of this comprehensive service system. The competition not only features dedicated sessions for overseas-educated talents and foreigners, but also provides entrepreneurial mentors, customized training programs, and facilitates connections with investors through job fairs, startup salons, and events such as the Maker Rainbow Bridge.

More importantly, to encourage greater participation from overseas talents, projects that win the competition not only receive prize money, but also enjoy comprehensive policy support after landing, including tax incentives, rent subsidies, financing guarantees, and interest-subsidized loans.

To date, Hangzhou has established 11 entrepreneurship parks for overseas-educated talents, spanning national, provincial, and municipal levels. In addition, the municipally operated "Overseas Returnee Town Entrepreneurship Park", led by private capital, has further expanded the capacity for overseas-educated entrepreneurs.

Hangzhou's consistent ranking over 14 years as the "Most Attractive Chinese City for Foreign Talent", along with its leading net inflow of overseas talents nationwide, owes a good deal to its favorable entrepreneurial environment and strong alignment with industry needs.

The "Creating the World • Sailing to the Future" Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition for Overseas Talents 2025 • Hangzhou closely follows the city's industrial development trends, covering key sectors such as the digital economy, life and health, and advanced manufacturing, while also introducing cutting-edge industries including artificial intelligence, humanoid robotics, brain-inspired intelligence and digital medicine, helping overseas-educated projects integrate into Hangzhou's dynamic growth.

Over the past eleven years, the competition has attracted more than 12,000 projects, with nearly 400 of them landing in Hangzhou and a total registered capital exceeding 3 billion RMB. PhD holders and teams from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany have chosen Hangzhou as their first stop for entrepreneurship, further demonstrating the city's international influence and strong appeal to global talent.

Hangzhou's 'first choice for overseas-educated entrepreneurs' has evolved from a slogan into a genuine option for a growing number of international talents. This environment offers both robust policy support and unparalleled industrial opportunities. In the future, the city is set to become a shining landmark on the global innovation map.

The Hangzhou's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition for Overseas Talents 2026 has launched a global call for participation, and we are looking forward to your joining.

SOURCE HZICC