Co-building, Co-sharing, and Co-existence: Hundreds of Innovative Practitioners from Around the World Gather at the Plug and Play China Day
On March 28, the Plug and Play China Day was held in Beijing. More than 600 guests from top 500s, startups, VC partners, urban parks, government authorities, embassies and consulates in China, well-known universities and research institutes, industry associations and media attended the event.
With the theme of “Innovation Forward, Ecosystem In-depth”, the conference is divided into “Immersion Tour - Innovation Showroom”, “China Day - Road to Innovation”, “Startups - By Your Side”, “Path - Steps of Innovation”, “Platform - Where Innovation Starts” and “We are Global – Top Startups Pitches”. Through immersive interaction experience, panel discussions, keynote speeches, video pitches, etc., the event showcased vividly and comprehensively the innovative ecosystem of Plug and Play that has been cultivated and built around the world for 20 years.
Venue of Plug and Play China Day
At the beginning of the conference, presented by Jeff Chien, Senior Vice President and Partner of Plug and Play China, Rahim Amidi, President and Founder of Plug and Play, and Shawn Chen, Co-founder and Executive Director of Plug and Play China, led the guests to review the history of Plug and Play: Starting from No. 165 University Avenue, Palo Alto, California, Plug and Play witnessed the rise of a group of epoch-making technology companies in Silicon Valley in the late 20thcentury. It has grown into a global leading technology innovation platform, paving the way for innovation around the world and leading its forward direction.
Rahim Amidi, President and Founder of Plug and Play (Right), and Shawn Chen, Co-founder and Executive Director of Plug and Play China (Left)
Jeff Chien, Senior Vice President and Partner of Plug and Play China
Looking back on this more than 20 years of “Road to innovation”, Plug and Play has accumulated a wealth of experience and insight. Based on more than two decades of deep cultivation, Peter Xu, Managing Partner and CEO of Plug and Play China, released three innovation trends: “earlier than earlier”, “all companies will become technology companies" and "innovation from space to megalopolis". Based on these insights, Plug and Play hopes to work with partners to build a new co-building, co-sharing and co-existence innovation platform, creating value and having dreams come true therein.
Peter Xu, Managing Partner and CEO of Plug and Play China
Earlier Than Earlier
Plug and Play China believes that the burgeoning of innovation needs to be discovered earlier. Plug and Play China will also help to discover innovation earlier, both in terms of startups and investors.
At the conference, Zhao Chen, Managing Partner and Executive Vice President of Plug and Play China, launched the “Global Chinese Startups Station” program. From Silicon Valley, Europe, Asia to China, with Chinese culture as the link, we are poised to gather global Chinese innovation power and foster an innovative atmosphere. In response to VC, Zhao Chen also announced the establishment of an investment eco-community with VC partners to achieve long-term sustainable and common development through resource and platform connections.
Zhao Chen, Managing Partner and Executive Vice President of Plug and Play China
Zhao Chen discussed the changes in the investment market and the demands of VC for the technology innovation platform with a number of guests, including Qixin Sun, Deputy Director of the Incubator Management Division of the Torch Hi-Tech Industrial Development Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Yutong Zhang, Partner of GSR Ventures, Reggie Zhang, Partner of Redpoint China, Yu Liang, Partner of China Creation Ventures, Rico Ren, Vice President of Baidu Ventures and Nero Wang, Investment Director of Sinovation Ventures.
Investor Panel Discussion
For the group of female entrepreneurs, Ms. Yisi Gu, Executive Director of Plug and Play China, announced the launch of the “FoundHER” program. A year ago, Plug and Play launched the FoundHER program in Silicon Valley, igniting, connecting and inspiring women entrepreneurs relying on Plug and Play's global innovation ecosystem. This time, FoundHER will be got implemented in China. And it is committed to connecting Chinese women entrepreneurs around the world to achieve a more beautiful career.
Ms. Yisi Gu, Executive Director of Plug and Play China
Witnessed by all, Plug and Play China's season 1 micro-documentary “Live Larger than Life” staged the debut. Nearly 20 entrepreneurs stepped onto the stage, receiving praises from audience. And season 2 micro-documentary launching ceremony.
Season 2 Micro-documentary Launching Ceremony
All companies will become technology companies
Plug and Play China has found that past technological innovations have transformed production tools and brought the last three industrial revolutions; today's technological innovations have not only transformed production tools, but also changed producer and production relationships. As a result, Plug and Play China proposes that in the future, all companies will become technology companies.
Qiao Dan, Vice President of Plug and Play China
In the wave of unremitting innovations, only by discovering pain points, conducting pilots, breaking down barriers, combining internal and external forces, and absorbing talents, can we keep innovative in an ever-changing era. This requires corporates and technological startups to cooperate with each other, explore and practice repeatedly, and find the most mutually beneficial ways for common development.
"Path-Steps of Innovation" Roundtable Forum
Qiao Dan, Vice President of Plug and Play China opened the next chapter of the conference "Ecosystem In-depth". Presented by Jeff Lin, Co-founder of Dasym Asia, the roundtable discussion with the theme of “Steps of Innovation” was conducted, featuring Ye Feng, Senior Director of Open Innovation of Signify China and Asia, Shengyun Wang, General Manager of innovation R&D Dept. of Sinotrans Ltd., Dong Li, Chief Data Officer of Sunshine Insurance and Hao Wang, Founder & CEO of Phantom. They shared their thoughts on enterprise open innovation. Thereafter, Professor Yingfeng Cao, Dean of the Institute of Global Entrepreneurship & Innovation, has shared his theoretical views on innovation.
Yangfeng Cao, Dean of the Institute of Global Entrepreneurship & Innovation
From space to megalopolis
From Silicon Valley to China, Plug and Play has always been committed to bringing innovative ecological elements such as startups, corporates, VC, and research institutes together to form a dynamic ecosystem of innovation. In China, Plug and Play also deeply integrates high-tech parks and cities into the platform.
Plug and Play China believes that the collaboration of innovation spaces, companies, and high-tech parks allows the elements of innovation to circulate within the city, bringing together talent, knowledge, and capital. On the basis of the urban innovation platform, the cities in the region cooperate with each other based on their different industrial structures, allowing the elements of innovation to flow freely within a larger scope. Such move will help form an innovative urban community, becoming a regional carrier of innovation, and achieving organic growth.
Xiaotian Chen, General Manager of Unicom Internet of Things Co., Ltd., Xing Zhao, Founder & CEO of Minyuan Sensorg, Yujie Jiang, Partner of Albatross Venture, and Dr. Fan Qun, President of Guangzhou Googol Park respectively represented corporates, startups, VCs and high-tech parks and shared their experience in innovation. In the exchanges, the parties affirmed the value of “borderless connection” and expressed their appeal to “ecosystem”.
Thereafter, Dawn Chen, Senior Vice President and Partner of Plug and Play China, introduced Plug and Play China's urban innovation and regional innovation strategy, sharing the ecological model of “globally connected innovation”.
Dawn Chen, Senior Vice President and Partner of Plug and Play China
Innovative products exhibition
The event also transformed the venue into an immersive innovative showroom of more than 1,000 square meters. More than 60 domestic and overseas companies are divided into five focus areas and six interactive experience areas, which combine to showcase future technological innovation trends.
Immersive Tour - Innovation Showcase
The audience came across the “Road to Innovation”, reviewed the past and present of innovation and came to the “cross-vertical scene display area” to experience the joint display of 8 sets of cross-industry scientific and technological achievements. In the “Next Generation” exhibition area, the audience can feel the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs. In the “Cross-border” exhibition area, technology companies from Silicon Valley bring their latest achievements. In the “Innovation Space” exhibition area, the audience can experience the innovative space from the office model room to the city-wide area. In the “Digital Platform” display area, viewers can experience boundaryless innovative and connected communication online.
Cross-border startups pitches
The evening session of the conference used video pitches to showcase more than ten outstanding projects that Plug and Play accelerated in Silicon Valley. In addition, nearly 10 Silicon Valley startups were present to showcase the projects; the pitch also marked a successful completion of Spring Cross-border Tour of Plug and Play.
