“2018 Zhongguancun Forum” opened in Beijing, Nov. 2, 2018. With the theme of “Innovation globalization and high-quality development”, the forum invited famous scientists, enterprises and investors from more than 10 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Israel and so on. They shared the experience and prospects of global sci-tech innovation, discussed the paths for innovation to reshape economic structure and lead high-quality development.

The forum consists of 1 main forum, I closing forum and 5 parallel sub-forums. The closing forum is in the theme of “30 years of Chinese sci-tech parks, and future-oriented innovative cities”; while the sub-forums are in the themes of “2018 Shengjing global innovation award & industrial internet innovation”, “Innovative entrepreneurs”, “AI and innovative life—dialogues between entrepreneurs from Zhongguancun and all over the world”, “Intellectual property”, “Innovation cooperation & intellectual property operation”, “New supplies”, “Supply-side reform led by innovation”. The experts and scholars attending the forums are constantly proposing new ideas with respect to various themes. The participants expressed they have benefited a lot.

On the main forum, many attenders made keynote speeches, including Stefan W. Hell, 2014 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry and director of the Max Planck Institute for biophysical chemistry; Lei Jun, chairman of Xiaomi Technology co. Ltd.; Sir Peter Bonfield, CBE, fellow of the Royal College of Engineering and chairman of NXP Semiconductor Company; Shi Yigong, academician of CAS, foreign academician of American National Academy of Sciences, president of West Lake University; Bill Ruh, senior global vice President of GE and President of GE data; Peretz Lavie, President of Israel Institute of Technology; and Guo Yike, member of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the European Academy of Sciences and director of the Data Science Institute at Imperial College London.

The participants also include scientists like Xie Xiaoliang, Shao Yang, Xing Bo, several generations of Zhongguancun entrepreneurs like Liu Chuanzhi, Wang Xiaolan, Mao Daqing and Shu Chang, as well as representatives from well-known venture capital firms such as Deng Feng, founding partner of Aurora Borealis VC Fund, AVI Hasson, partner of Emerge (an Israeli VC firm).  

The high-profile “Zhongguancun Index 2018” was also released on the forum. The index is regarded as the “barometer” and “weathervane” of the development of high-tech industrial parks in China. The “Zhongguancun Index” is jointly developed by researchers from Zhongguancun Institute for Innovation and Development and Beijing Fangdi Institute of Economic Development, with Zhao Hong, vice President of Beijing Academy of Social Science and President of Zhongguancun Institute of Innovation and Development, as the chief expert.

In order to better reflect the new characteristics and trends of innovation and development in Zhongguancun since the 18^th National Congress of the CPC, this year saw a new version of “Zhongguancun Index”.

Zhongguancun Forum was founded in 2007, with “Innovation and Development” as its permanent theme, positioning as the influential high-level international forum in the field of science and technology.

By paying close attention to the hop spots in the fields of global high-tech industry development as well as innovation and entrepreneurship, it aims to guide international high-end elements, build international exchange and cooperation platforms, accelerate the construction of science and technology innovation centers as well as the Zhongguancun National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone.