On the morning of November 22nd, the 22nd Microsoft Imagine Cup (China Region) Henan Regional Finals were successfully held in the multi-functional hall on the 3rd floor of the Smart Island Building in Zhengdong New District. The Xinyang Maojian team from Zhengzhou University of Technology and Business won the championship and will join the three runner-up teams—the Science and Technology Innovation team from Henan University of Technology, the Nishui Xingzhou team from Henan University of Science and Technology, and the Huoyan Jinjing team from Henan Vocational and Technical College—on the world stage to represent the Henan region in the Microsoft Imagine Cup Global Preliminaries.

This competition was guided by the Zhengzhou Municipal Party Committee Talent Work Leading Group Office and hosted by the Zhengdong New District Management Committee and the Zhengzhou Zhongyuan Science and Technology City Management Committee. It was organized by the Zhongyuan Science and Technology City Investment Promotion Service Bureau, the Zhongyuan Science and Technology City Talent Work Bureau, the Red Five-Star Talent Development Alliance, the Henan Digital Economy Industry Innovation Research Institute, the Zhongyuan Longzihu Digital Economy Entrepreneurship and Innovation Incubation Center, and the Zhongyuan Science and Technology City Digital Yucai Base. Li Zhi, Deputy Director of the Zhengzhou Municipal Talent Work Service Center, Zhang Yafeng, Third-Level Investigator of the Zhengdong New District Management Committee, and Ren Xiang, Founder of the Henan Digital Economy Industry Innovation Research Institute, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Hao Fei, Director of the Investment Promotion Service Bureau of Zhongyuan Science and Technology City, and Gao Xiaodong, Deputy Director of the Talent Work Bureau of Zhongyuan Science and Technology City and Chairman of the Council of the Red Five-Star Talent Development Alliance, and other leaders attended and witnessed the birth of the champion. Xie Yali, Senior Architect of Microsoft Public Cloud Solutions, and Mu Ruitao, Executive Vice President of Henan Digital Economy Industry Innovation Research Institute and Chief Technology Officer of Henan Shuwei Technology Co., Ltd., delivered keynote speeches. Representatives from numerous universities, investment institutions, and innovative enterprises also attended the event.

In his speech, Li Zhi stated that young talents are the most active innovation group, the main force of innovation, and the key focus of talent work. The Municipal Party Committee, aiming to create a national platform for attracting and gathering talent, emphasizes young talents as the core, vigorously implements the Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Action, and continuously accelerates the improvement of the policy system and platform for prioritizing youth development and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. We hope that Zhengdong New Area will fully leverage its unique advantages of being a hub for universities and renowned enterprises, and rely on Microsoft's professional competition platform to "use competitions as a medium, to gather talent, to promote industry, and to facilitate application," striving to attract more outstanding young talents and make new and greater contributions to the construction of Zhengzhou as a national central city and the further development of Central China!

Zhang Yafeng, representing Zhengdong New Area, delivered a speech. He pointed out that the key to innovation lies in attracting talent. Contemporary Chinese youth are born at the right time, with an incredibly broad stage to showcase their talents and a bright future to realize their dreams. Zhengdong New Area insists on treating the attraction and cultivation of talent as a comprehensive, fundamental, and strategic priority, using talent as the primary resource to better activate the primary driving force of innovation and lead the primary task of development. We sincerely welcome all kinds of science and technology innovation enterprises and young friends to embark on a new journey and demonstrate new achievements on this vibrant land. We will, as always, use the utmost sincerity, the best service, and the best policies to support everyone, sharing development opportunities and creating a better future together.

The Microsoft Imagine Cup Global Student Technology Competition (China Region) Henan Division was held in Zhengdong New Area, providing a powerful platform for students from the Central Plains and even university students nationwide to showcase their innovative vitality and stimulate their innovative potential. It also provided us with the best channel to appreciate the power of science and technology and experience the charm of innovation. This competition attracted 467 participants from 121 teams representing 18 universities both within and outside the province. The entries covered multiple fields including digital economy, smart agriculture, and biomedicine, showcasing the technological innovation spirit and capabilities of contemporary students from Central China, their concern for global development and social life, and their passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. Through this competition, more young talents gained a deeper understanding of Zhengdong New Area, enhanced the brand image of the Smart Island's innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives, and attracted more outstanding talents to innovate and start businesses in Zhengdong New Area.