By Rui Li, Founder and Co-President of MIT-CHIEF, on Nov. 16, 2012
Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,
A very good evening. On behalf of the organizing committee, I’m very excited and delighted to welcome you to the second annual MIT-CHIEF conference, to share the exciting moments with us.
Background
The world is changing, with technology as the key driving force. From automobile to spacecraft, from Internet to genetics, technology is truly shaping our lives in a fundamental way. What ultimately empowers technology to change the world is the spirits of innovation and entrepreneurship. Today, twelve startups are born in this nation every minute, and there are no signs of slowing down.
|
|
As a forerunner in fundamental and applied research, MIT fosters an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that constantly drives the nation and world forward, and shapes the way we live.
For instance, the World Wide Web Consortium formed at MIT has defined the way we surf the Internet. The solid-state transistor created by an MIT alumni is now everywhere in our electronic devices. The E-ink technology developed at MIT Media Lab gave rise to Kindle. From Bose to Qualcomm, to Analog Devices, MIT’s presence is everywhere. |
A recent study showed that MIT alumni have founded nearly 26,000 companies, which collectively employ 3.3 million people and generate about $2 trillion in annual sales. This group of companies, if its own nation, would be the 11th-largest economy in the world, equivalent to that of the whole Russia.
On the other hand, China, the second largest economy in the world with a huge market of 1.3 billion people, is facing a tremendous number of opportunities as well as challenges. Healthcare. Energy. Education. Environment. These are just some of the challenges that China faces in the 21st century, a time when the world’s needs are rapidly changing. A time in
which the benefits of being the world’s manufacturing center are diminishing. A time in which China needs to embark on the journey to an innovation-driven economy.
And of course, these challenges are not just of China, but the world as a whole. In this era of globalization, China’s development is closely tied to that of the United States, and it calls for innovative minds and collaborative efforts. It is time to bring MIT’s core value of invensional wisdom to tackle some of China’s most critical problems, it is time to enable both China and the US to learn more from each other, and it is time for global pioneers like you and me to work together as a team, in
the very same collaborative spirit that we breathe every day on our campus.
In the mean time, we are having the following questions:
What are the next disruptive technologies that shape the world?
How can China transfer from the world’s manufacturing center to an innovation-driven economy?
Who are the next shining entrepreneurs?
Where will China and the US be heading in the next 10, 20 or 50
years?
Mission
Founded in March 2011, the MIT-China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (MIT-CHIEF), aims to provide a high-level platform for intellectual exchange and collaboration between China and the US, in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. And I hope to find answers and solutions to some of the questions raised above.
MIT-CHIEF 2011
The basic format of MIT-CHIEF is an annual conference held in November on MIT campus. It features a “pitch to China” business plan contest, as well as keynotes and panel discussions on hottest topics, ranging from Big Data, IT, clean energy, healthcare to entrepreneurship and venture investment. With hard work of a group of passionate people and strong support from the MIT community, the first conference last year was a huge success, and attracted over 40 speakers, 600 attendees and nearly 100 startup projects. It is worth mentioning that some projects have successfully received investment after joining our contest and started to make an impact.
As the first of its kind and the largest China-focused event on MIT campus throughout MIT’s 150 years’ history, MIT-CHIEF 2011 was recognized as an important milestone in MIT’s engagement with China, by Professor Victor Zue, Chair of the MIT Greater China Strategy Working Group.
MIT-CHIEF 2012
Of course, Rome was not built in a day. It requires our continuous efforts to build such a platform and make an impact. Besides preparing for the conference, we also successfully held some MIT-CHIEF seminar series on topics such as legal issues and funding for startups, comparing the China and US market, etc. In addition, we launched the new mentorship program for MIT-CHIEF contestants to get first-hand advice and guidance from some experienced entrepreneurs and investors.
|
|
This year, the second annual MIT-CHIEF conference attracted over 50 speakers and judges, 160 startup projects and over 650 attendees. Our organizing team has been working extensively to deliver an integrated conference that packages 8 keynotes, 7 panels, a “Pitch to China” Business Plan Contest, and technology exhibitions to present a panoramic display of future trends in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Here, you will not only become actively engaged in discussions of the most advanced, innovative technologies in both China and the US, but also witness 6 teams of entrepreneurs compete in the final round of an exciting business plan contest. |
Here is an overview of the program that we are going to cover in the next two and half days:
Later tonight, two distinguished keynote speakers, Dean Christine Ortiz and Weijie Yun, will talk about innovation and entrepreneurship from their perspectives. On Saturday morning, five keynote speakers will discuss topics of innovation from both education and business points of view. On Saturday afternoon, we will have four panels on entrepreneurship, venture investment, incubators for startups and innovative enterprise. On Sunday morning, we will have panels on Big Data, healthcare and clean energy. The Sunday afternoon will start with a keynote speech by Professor Edward Roberts, Cofounder of Sohu.com, followed by the finale of the “Pitch to China” business plan contest.
Value of MIT-CHIEF
At MIT-CHIEF, we emphasize the importance of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, and value international cooperation. And we strive for the best and hope to make a real impact. These values define MIT-CHIEF’s beliefs and culture, and we strive to live up to them in all that we do.
MIT is an ecosystem where the future, is invented today; China is an epicenter for serious entrepreneurs, and MIT-CHIEF is a platform where innovation meets entrepreneurship, and a bridge where China meets MIT, the US and the world.
Thank Team
Here, I want to express sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who made this event possible—our passionate MIT-CHIEF team, our helpful advisors, insightful speakers, generous sponsors, our collaborators, and all our friends who joined us for this historical event. Our team has worked very hard to put on an integrated showcase for you, so please say hello to them when you meet our passionate and friendly team members.
Finally, while you are here, we sincerely wish you a pleasant, exciting, and meaningful adventure during the conference.
Together, we can make an impact. Thank you very much!
