Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

With the tides of entrepreneurship and innovation continuing to sweep throughout China, the Zhuhai division of the 2018 Maker in Guangdong Competition was held to discover the next generation of innovative minds and turn their ideas into reality. The event opened in April and ran through June 8.

The Zhuhai Ruisi Puli Biopharmaceutical won the contest in the enterprise category and took home the prize of 60,000 yuan ($9,390). The company has made technological breakthroughs in pulmonary drug delivery, which is deemed of high commercial value.

Nine finalists fight it out to win the Zhuhai division of the 2018 Maker in Guangdong Competition at the final round held on June 8. [Photo by Zhong Fan / Zhuhai Daily]

The top prize of 40,000 yuan ($6,260) for the maker group went to Zhuhai Youwei Bio-tech. (Maker is a new hot word referring to a group of people who are working to turn creative ideas into real products or services.) The company's research into the possibility of vaccine patches has attracted interest from many investors.

The two winners stood out from a total of 158 contestants who were from listed firms, hi-tech companies, or who had doctorates and higher qualifications from prestigious Western universities. They competed in two separate categories from the preliminary rounds to the semifinals, and the number of contestants was cut to nine for the final face off to decide the winner. 

Projects in the contest ranged from new-generation information technology, high-end manufacturing, biomedicine, environmental protection, cultural creation, and the digital economy among other emerging industries.

Judges screen out entries who qualified for the competition in April.

An experienced judge panel, comprised of famous venture capitalists, experts in software and engineering, and lawyers, ensured the professionalism and integrity of the contest.

The top five finalists in respective categories will be eligible for the semi-final of the 2018 Make in Guangdong Competition, according to the organizing committee.

The semi-final cut the number of contestants from 30 to nine.

The event was sponsored by the Xiangzhou District government and the Zhuhai Science, Technology, Industry, Trade & Information Technology Bureau.

Intensified training is given throughout the competition.  [Photos courtesy WeChat account (ID:hengqinchuangyigu)]