Young professionals key to innovation capability in fast-developing fields
The capacity for innovation among young professionals in the technology sector is boosting productivity, and Beijing is striving to nurture more such professionals with policy support, according to a report released on Sunday.
The 2025 Global Youth Science and Technology Innovation Report was unveiled at the Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum, a sideline event of the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference.
Led by Zhai Kun, a professor at the School of International Studies at Peking University, the report emphasizes the mutual reinforcement between new quality productive forces and talent.
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"A key characteristic of new quality talent is their ability to adapt to the evolving trends of new quality productive forces and respond to development needs," the report said. It stressed that in both industrial development and the construction of industrial chains, new quality talent plays an integral role in driving revolutionary innovation.
The report noted that young Chinese professionals are making significant contributions to high-level national research. The average age of core members of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System team is 36; on the national quantum science team, it's 35; and on the research and development team of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope — one the world's most advanced telescopes — it's 30.
More than 3 million science and engineering graduates have joined the front lines of project and technology innovation, underscoring the importance of fostering new quality talent to drive the development of new quality productive forces, the report said.
While the rise of new quality productive forces provides innovative support for young talent, these individuals, in turn, propel groundbreaking research, industrial development and cooperation, and contribute to societal morale, according to the report.
The report pointed out that cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, advanced communications, biomanufacturing, quantum technology and embodied intelligence serve as strong incentives for young people to engage in innovation, despite the market risks and uncertainties surrounding such tech.
Young professionals are emerging as a driving force in international collaborative innovation.
"As technological innovation thrives on openness and cooperation, yielding mutual benefits, professionals play a crucial role in fostering regional development and international cooperation," the report said.
The report also underscored how youthful passion drives innovation.
Both the Chinese large language model DeepSeek and the blockbuster film Ne Zha 2 owe their success to young innovators and entrepreneurs. The core team behind DeepSeek has an average age under 30, while members of several production teams for Ne Zha 2 are in their 20s.
Enhancing the transformation of scientific achievements and the protection of intellectual property rights could further incentivize young talent engaging in innovation and research, the report said.
Beijing is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, leveraging local strengths and implementing action plans to foster artificial intelligence innovation.
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Currently, more than 2,200 AI enterprises are based in Beijing, accounting for about 40 percent of the country's total. The number of large AI models launched and planned in the Chinese capital represents nearly half the country's total. In 2024, Beijing's AI industrial scale surpassed 300 billion yuan ($41.3 billion), according to the report.
"Beijing boasts innovative vitality and potential in artificial intelligence, with its pool of top-tier talent accounting for approximately 43 percent of the nation's total in this field," the report said.
According to the OpenAI Index, Beijing ranks second globally behind San Francisco among the most innovative cities in terms of AI.
The city is accelerating the construction of a globally influential AI innovation hub by providing strong support for new quality talent through advanced research infrastructure and platforms while cultivating a robust talent pool, the report said.
