On June 27, the inaugural Yellow Bohai regional round of the First Harbin Engineering University Global Alumni Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was successfully held at the Yantai Artificial Intelligence Industry Pilot Zone.
The opening ceremony was attended by ZHANG Yanghong, Party Secretary of Yantai Research Institute; QI Guishan, Deputy General Manager of Yantai Guofeng Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd.; WANG Xiaoli, Deputy Director of the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Yantai Yellow Bohai New Area; LIU Zhijun, Deputy Director of the University Development and Liaison Department; and alumni association presidents including YUAN Weihong (Jilin), QIANG Yi (Tianjin), Qi Huijun (Jinan), and WANG Zongjun (Yantai-Weihai). The event was moderated by ZHANG Aiguo, Deputy Party Secretary of Yantai Research Institute.
LIU Zhijun noted that this regional competition is a key initiative by the university to implement its “Alumni Two-Way Empowerment” annual action plan, deepen university-local government collaboration, and galvanize alumni-driven innovation. Designed to leverage the industrial strengths of the Yellow Bohai region, the competition serves as a tripartite empowerment platform connecting alumni, academia, and society, precisely linking industry, capital, and talent resources to pave the way for alumni entrepreneurs. He emphasized that the university and its alumni networks will always stand firmly behind alumni innovation and entrepreneurship, and that the university will continue to build platforms for resource matchmaking, scientific exchange, and technology commercialization, while strengthening multi-dimensional ties with local governments and alumni chapters—so that HEU’s innovative spirit can take root and thrive from coast to coast.
WANG Zongjun stated that the Yantai-Weihai Alumni Association will fully support HEU’s two-way empowerment efforts, diligently fulfill its core duty of serving and connecting alumni, and do its utmost to facilitate exchanges and cooperation for alumni from all regions visiting the Yantai-Weihai area.
QI Guishan observed that the Yellow Bohai New Area serves as Yantai’s primary hub for science and technology innovation and industrial development, and that this competition represents a true convergence of industry and innovation. He added that the Yantai Artificial Intelligence Industry Pilot Zone will seize this opportunity to deepen its collaboration with university resources, provide robust support for high-quality tech ventures, facilitate the translation of more innovations into local industrial applications, and contribute fresh momentum to the industrial upgrading of the Yellow Bohai New Area.
To better harness alumni networks and empower regional development, Yantai Research Institute signed bilateral empowerment cooperation agreements with the alumni associations of Jilin, Tianjin, Jinan, and Yantai-Weihai, formalizing mechanisms for ongoing collaboration and in-depth partnership.
Signing ceremony with the Jilin Alumni Association
Signing ceremony with the Tianjin Alumni Association
Signing ceremony with the Jinan Alumni Association
Signing ceremony with the Wei-Yan Alumni Association
During the pitch session, 15 teams presented projects closely aligned with national strategic priorities and market-frontier needs. The competition ultimately awarded one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes, and nine excellence awards.
This competition represents a major step in the university’s implementation of its “Alumni Two-Way Empowerment” strategy, aiming to build platforms and connect resources for alumni entrepreneurs, facilitate precise alignment between high-quality projects and regional industrial needs, and achieve mutual growth for both alumni and the local economy.
Alumni are HEU’s most valuable asset, and the university regards lifelong service to alumni growth as a core mission. Yantai Research Institute will leverage this competition as a catalyst to deepen ongoing engagement with alumni chapters nationwide, deliver more targeted services, and support the high-quality development of alumni careers. At the same time, by capitalizing on the industrial and policy advantages of the Yellow Bohai New Area, the institute will work to ground more outstanding projects in the region, exploring new pathways for university-local collaboration and two-way empowerment.
