The seventh annual Xiamen Talent Service Month, held without interruption, has officially kicked off. Centered on this year's theme for young talent — "Young • Talented • Future-oriented" — the event features over 40 supporting activities, creating a platform for domestic and overseas young talent exchanges and development that reaches out globally and connects closely with Hong Kong and Macao. From top-level collaborative announcements to offline on-the-ground matchmaking, the initiative deepens Xiamen–Hong Kong sci–tech synergy in all dimensions, attracting young innovators from Hong Kong and Macao to put down roots in the island city.

On July 9, the launching ceremony of the "2026 Xiamen Talent Service Month" was officially held in Xiamen, Fujian, China. More than 200 participants gathered on site, including industry experts from home and abroad, research institutes, young entrepreneurs, and representatives of Hong Kong and Macao talent. The ceremony showcased the latest achievements of young researchers in science and technology, unveiled multiple youth talent development programs, and premiered the city's talent promotional video "Stride into Youth, Strive in Xiamen", extending a sincere invitation to young talent from Hong Kong, Macao, and around the world to start businesses, pursue innovation, and realize their dreams in Xiamen.

Xiamen has been consistently expanding its network of international talent service stations, including those in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, and proactively engaging with top-notch sci–tech innovation resources in Hong Kong and Macao. At the ceremony, the "Hong Kong Young Scientists Xiamen Science and Technology Service Program" was unveiled as a major initiative, becoming a key lever to deepen sci–tech integration between Hong Kong and Xiamen and bring in innovative forces from Hong Kong. In its first phase, the program has joined forces with four cutting-edge innovation platforms: the State Key Laboratory of Display and Optoelectronics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of Hong Kong, the Jockey Club Innovative Laboratory for Future Energy Systems at City University of Hong Kong, and the Physics Artificial Intelligence Research Center at HKUST. The collaboration focuses on industry–university joint technological breakthroughs, transfer and commercialization of research outcomes, and co–establishment of joint laboratories. Mr. Lin Yanhong, Assistant Director of the HKUST State Key Laboratory of Display and Optoelectronics, noted that the laboratory has already worked with Xiamen "Double-Hundred Plan" talent enterprise StarCent Integrated Technology to overcome the industry bottleneck of "difficulty in balancing small size and high optical power." He added that the program will continue to organize Hong Kong young scientists to bring high-quality research projects to Xiamen for follow–up landing and implementation.

Concurrently, Xiamen launched the "International Youth Sci–Tech Envoys Exchange Program," which builds an open and collaborative international network for young sci–tech innovators through talent development programs, joint research initiatives, and BRICS sci–tech innovation cooperation. Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory introduced the "30+ Entrepreneurship Talent Project," selecting key youth sci–tech innovation projects worldwide in fields such as hydrogen energy, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and next–generation displays, providing top–tier research facilities and incubation support for young research teams at home and abroad. All districts and municipal departments are rolling out a rich array of supporting activities, fostering a sustained "every month is a service month" atmosphere for talent attraction and improving the whole–chain service system for bringing in, nurturing, retaining, and utilizing young talent from both within and outside China.

As a key on–site activity under the "Hong Kong Young Scientists Xiamen Science and Technology Service Program," the "Young • Talented • Future-oriented — Hong Kong Young Scientists Xiamen Tour & Tong'an Youth Talent Integration and Innovation Event" opened successfully on the morning of July 21. Thirty–two young Ph.D. holders and postdoctoral researchers from HKUST's key laboratories and the Hong Kong Young Scientists Association gathered in Xiamen, Fujian, China, for a two–way, in–depth sci–tech dialogue between the two cities.

At the event, multiple municipal and district authorities jointly held a dedicated policy briefing. On the one hand, they presented Xiamen's talent policies, sci–tech innovation support measures, and investment–promotion regulations, delivering comprehensive and detailed policy information to the attending Hong Kong young doctors. On the other hand, with a focus on key industrial sectors such as optoelectronics, new energy, and new materials, they gave a full picture of Xiamen's well–developed industrial innovation chain, showcasing the city's appealing ecosystem for young professionals to live and work in. During the achievement–sharing and project roadshow segment, Xiamen talent enterprise StarCent Integrated Technology shared practical experience in commercializing research results, while five Hong Kong young doctors presented high–potential sci–tech projects in optoelectronic displays, new materials, and new energy frontiers, detailing their core technologies, mature research outcomes, and industrialization plans in Xiamen. On–site government bodies, enterprises, and research institutions engaged in targeted matchmaking with the Hong Kong teams, exploring diverse cooperation opportunities.

During their stay in Xiamen, the Hong Kong young scientist delegation conducted field visits to frontline industries, touring leading companies such as Meitu, Hithium, and Contemporary Amperex Technology (Xiamen) to gain first–hand insights into industry development and enterprise needs. They also visited high–end research facilities including the Xiamen Science City Incubator and Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, experiencing firsthand Xiamen's comprehensive industrial support, innovation platforms, and youth entrepreneurship nurturing systems.

In addition, our reporter learned that the "Gathering Talent in Fujian, Attracting the World — 2026 Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition" is being hosted by Xiamen.

Since its registration announcement in May, the competition has drawn widespread attention from overseas innovators and entrepreneurs. Aligned with Fujian Province's "555X" industrial system, the competition features three tracks — electronic information, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing — and offers special talent policy support, aiming to discover and cultivate outstanding talent and projects. A total of 1,756 overseas talents from 53 countries and regions worldwide registered, with 1,184 meeting the eligibility criteria, including 142 from Hong Kong and Macao, of whom 60% hold doctoral degrees. The submitted projects are concentrated in frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, high–end medical devices, and new materials, closely matching Fujian's key development industries. During the registration period, the organizing committee also held a dedicated promotional event in Hong Kong to help talent better understand the competition and prepare thoroughly.

Currently, the organizing committee is accelerating the preliminary rounds and will hold the finals in Xiamen in September during the China International Fair for Investment and Trade, accompanied by supporting activities including investment–financing matchmaking and industrial site visits, so as to connect participating talent teams with landing resources and expand their development opportunities. The committee sincerely invites Hong Kong and Macao talent to keep following the competition's progress, actively engage in project matchmaking, and share in Fujian's innovation–driven development opportunities.

Young people are the core driving force behind scientific and technological innovation. From the launch ceremony of the Xiamen Talent Service Month, which unveiled a long–term Xiamen–Hong Kong sci–tech cooperation mechanism, to the simultaneous provincial–level "Gathering Talent in Fujian, Attracting the World" Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition that creates new talent–attraction channels, and to the dedicated events that seamlessly connect policy briefings, project roadshows, and industrial site visits — this series of initiatives has broken down multiple barriers between talent, industry, research, competitions, and commercialization across the two cities. It truly achieves the goal of "gathering talent through competitions, attracting wisdom through talent, empowering through wisdom, and boosting industry through innovation." Leveraging international talent service stations, cross–border sci–tech cooperation programs, regular talent exchange activities, and provincial–level entrepreneurship competition platforms, Xiamen continues to build a one–stop, multi–dimensional development platform for Hong Kong and Macao youth, smoothing the passage for outstanding talents from Hong Kong and Macao to pursue their dreams and careers in Xiamen. Backed by a strong industrial foundation, high–quality talent policies, comprehensive research facilities, and an inclusive urban environment, Xiamen is deepening collaborative development for talent from both home and abroad, and eagerly looks forward to welcoming more young scientists from Hong Kong and Macao to settle and grow in the city, joining hands to create a future of scientific and technological innovation.

The 18th Straits Forum was held on June 13 in Xiamen, Fujian, China. At the forum, three Taiwanese youths from different fields shared their wonderful stories of working and living in the mainland. "Our success benefits from the mainland's very complete innovation system, abundant data resources, high-quality talent pool, active capital market, and comprehensive policy support." Chris Lai, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Metis TechBio Co., Ltd., shared how, after graduating with a PhD from MIT, he returned to the mainland and received full support from the governments of Hangzhou and Beijing in terms of funding, talent, and industrial chains. By integrating artificial intelligence with biomedicine, after six years of hard work, Metis TechBio Co., Ltd. successfully rang the bell at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in May this year, becoming the world's first AI-driven drug delivery listed company.

The germ of scientific research aspiration gives rise to entrepreneurial ideas

Chris Lai's connection with gene editing and biomedicine began in high school. After graduating from university, he went abroad to pursue a doctoral degree. Upon graduation in 2017, at a café in Massachusetts, he discussed the development prospects of AI in manufacturing with his now-partner, Professor Hongmin Chen, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. At that time, the new nano-drug developed by the other team had just been successfully launched. Right there, they sketched out their entrepreneurial blueprint on a napkin: to build a professional laboratory in the pharmaceutical field, relying on AI technology to achieve precise nano-delivery of drugs, repair diseased cells, and explore anti-aging directions for cells.

Rooting in the mainland for entrepreneurship, deepening technology to achieve breakthroughs

But limited by the technology level at the time, and with the industry generally taking a wait-and-see attitude, this plan did not officially materialize until 2019. "That year, our project won the second prize in the Hangzhou Maker Competition and received RMB 10 million in funding support." In Hangzhou, the local government provided concierge-style services, assisting with company registration, site selection, providing talent apartments and various subsidies, and proactively connecting industry resources to fully support the technology team's development. It took less than three months to complete the renovation of the experimental site, helping to quickly build an experimental platform. "These made us determined to root our entrepreneurship in the mainland."

The entrepreneurial journey was full of challenges. In the early stages, various AI-developed drug carriers failed repeatedly in animal experiments, putting tremendous pressure on the team. Fortunately, Hangzhou continued to connect various R&D resources, supporting Chris Lai's team to experiment repeatedly and iterate continuously. Over three years, Chris Lai's team built a globally leading dry-wet experimental data platform and a tens-of-millions-level industry knowledge base.

"With AI technology, we dramatically reduced costs and improved efficiency, compressing the clinical R&D cycle for nano-materials from several years to several months, completely disrupting the traditional industry model." With policy support and multiple rounds of financing, in just a few years, Chris Lai's company grew into an industry unicorn. The nucleic acid drug design platform project led by Chris Lai was also selected as a national key biomedical technology breakthrough project.

Mainland's AI leads globally, young people become the main force

Chris Lai remarked that starting a business in the mainland is vastly different from doing so overseas. "In the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, young scientists like me, though technology leaders, can usually only work at the technical level and are unlikely to be involved in company management; the industry ceiling is very low. But in China, it's completely different. This is an era of young people. Entrepreneurs born after 1985, 1990, or even 2000 have become the main force, achieving various breakthroughs in deep AI application development, which deeply moves me." Chris Lai said that China has already taken the lead globally in artificial intelligence, and AI is now transforming every industry and has become an innovation booster in biomedicine.

Chris Lai introduced that the team has set up a new R&D center in Beijing's Zhongguancun, bringing together top talents from Peking University, Tsinghua University, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, and others, with a well-established medical investment system and industry guidance funds. "Within just a few months after settling in, the local authorities helped us connect with international pharmaceutical companies, vaccine enterprises, and clinical hospitals, empowering our hard-tech breakthroughs along the entire chain." Today, Chris Lai's AI nano-drug delivery platform can precisely deliver drugs to multiple organs such as the liver, lungs, heart, and gastrointestinal tract, like building a dedicated "drug rocket" inside the body, opening up a brand-new technological track.

The mainland has sincerity, policies, and warmth

On May 13 this year, Metis TechBio Co., Ltd. was listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, becoming the world's first AI drug delivery listed company. Chris Lai also became the first Taiwanese youth to take a hard-tech enterprise from zero to IPO in mainland China. Looking back, the partners who studied with Chris Lai at the time are now starting businesses in different cities. The small team of six people has now incubated four listed and pre-listed companies.

"As a beneficiary of cross-strait integrated development, I want to say to Taiwanese youth: the mainland has sincerity, policies, and warmth for Taiwanese youth. As long as you are willing to come, stay down-to-earth, and combine your expertise with the industrial advantages here, you will surely find your own stage." Chris Lai encouraged Taiwanese youth, saying that artificial intelligence is a young cause and also a cause for young people. This is a critical stage for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. He hopes that young people on both sides of the strait will join hands, transform technological creativity into tangible products, and realize personal value in the journey of national rejuvenation.