Yunnan Caiyunhui Innovation Competition Semifinals Conclude, Irradiation Technology Application Projects Debut

On July 29, the semifinals of the 2026 Caiyunhui Innovation Competition Yunnan Division, themed "Caiyunhui, Win the Future," concluded at Kunming City College. The semifinals covered five industry sectors: next-generation information technology, biomedicine, high-end equipment manufacturing, new materials, new energy, and energy conservation and environmental protection, with 301 enterprises from Yunnan Province advancing to the semifinals.

In terms of participant composition, 111 enterprises were in next-generation information technology and 104 in biomedicine, with these two categories accounting for over 70% of the total semifinalists, making them the key tracks of this year's Yunnan Division. In the startup group, projects in next-generation information technology and biomedicine rose to 67%, reflecting that local science and technology innovation projects in Yunnan are extending from traditional industry tracks to emerging industry tracks.

Among the startup group projects, the "Yunnan Province Irradiation Technology Application Industry" project drew attention. The project leader returned to their hometown to start a business and, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and other institutions, conducted research on radiation breeding and preservation technologies for modern agricultural products with plateau characteristics, while developing irradiation preservation application processes tailored to Yunnan's local agricultural products. The goal is to enhance the preservation capacity of Yunnan's specialty agricultural products and support their expansion into external markets.

This year's competition adopted a "regional competition + thematic competition + special competition" model, with thematic competitions established for the first time, focusing on three key industries: optoelectronics, new energy and new materials, and computing power. A special competition for the tin and indium industry was also launched under the Yunnan Tin-Indium Laboratory, promoting collaborative innovation across the industrial chain and the commercialization of research outcomes.

A representative from the Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology stated that the Caiyunhui Innovation Competition explores a model of "replacing evaluation with competition, replacing recruitment with competition, batch introduction, and cluster development," and is becoming an important platform for attracting and cultivating technology-based enterprises and high-quality scientific and technological achievements, while also providing sustained support for the integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation in Yunnan.