The 3rd NICE Innovation and Entrepreneurship competition has officially launched—applications are now open!
National Innovation Center par Excellence (NICE) is seeking groundbreaking technical innovations andprojects across AI and Communication, IC and Micro-nano Fabrication, Advanced Materials, Roboticsand Intelligent Manufacturing, Medicine and Medical Equipment, Clean Energy and Sustainability.
Each selected project will be offered up to around USD 4M of fund-ing support. NICE's market-driven funding mechanism will derisks early-stage projects and accelerates theirpath to market, helping to bridge the "funding valley of death" between research and commercialization.
Join us, and let's turn your innovation into a force to light up our future!
Building on the success of the previous two sessions, this year’s competition has further upgraded its competitive framework and empowerment system with more precisely defined tracks, deeper incubation services, stronger policy support, and more comprehensive landing support. It aims to create a fertile ground for growth for global innovators and entrepreneurs—spanning the entire growth chain from “Proof of Concept” to “Pilot Scale-up”, and finally “Commercialization”.
Competition Highlights：
Expanded Tracks: Anchoring the Industrial Future in Frontier Fields. Aligned with cutting-edge industrial trends and regional development priorities, this year’ competition focuses on six core sectors — Artificial Intelligence and Communications, Integrated Circuits and Micro-Nano Fabrication, Advanced Materials and Processing Technologies, Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Biomedical Sciences and Pharmaceuticals, and Energy and Environmental Protection, while further extending into 17 frontier sub-tracks, ensuring that high-quality original projects resonate with market demands and achieve efficient conversion of innovation outcomes.
In-Depth Due Diligence: Full-Cycle Empowerment for Project Growth. Unlike conventional competitions, this year’s competition places “incubation” at its core, providing participants with full-cycle, immersive empowerment. NICE will conduct in-depth due diligence on all competing projects while deploying a dedicated team of Technology Transfer Managers throughout the competition to provide end-to-end guidance. From business model refinement and investment matchmaking to industrialization and commercialization, the competition is transformed into a deep incubation journey that addresses growth pain points at every stage for all projects.
Comprehensive Empowerment: Helping Projects Take Root and Thrive. Winning teams will be appointed as NICE “Project Managers” with NICE providing operational funding of up to USD 40K. Projects that successfully enter the “Grants + Investment” incubation track may receive funding support of up to USD 4M, and leveraging NICE’s extensive network and premium resources across Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, key partner provinces and cities, and Hong Kong, the Competition provides innovators and entrepreneurs with a full-chain incubation platform spanning “Proof of Concept — Pilot Scale-up — Commercialization.” It also offers comprehensive implementation support including office space, talent recruitment, and financial matchmaking, enabling high-quality projects to land efficiently and grow rapidly.
Clear Entry Requirements: Original Projects Worldwide Are Eligible to Register. The Competition is open to global submissions of pioneering and forward-looking industrial innovation projects with independent intellectual property rights. Projects that have not yet incorporated a company entity should have plans to register a company within one year following the Competition. Projects with an existing registered entity should, in principle, have been registered for no more than three years and have not received market-based financing.
For more competition details, application portal, and the latest updates, please visit the NICE official website (www.nice.org.cn) .
