The Salon was organised by the Cambridge University - Nanjing Centre of Technology and Innovation (“CUNJC”) and Nanjing Overseas Collaborative Innovation Center (Cambridge, UK). Notable attendees included Wang Yuanhua, Deputy Director of Nanjing Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Daping Chu, Tenured Professor at the University of Cambridge and Academic Director and CEO of CUNJC, and Josh Bowerman, Director of Development - Schools Programme at Development and Alumni Relations Office, University of Cambridge (CUDAR). They delivered speeches during the event. Distinguished guests such as Alan Song, Managing Partner of SoftBank China Venture Capital, and Hermann Hauser, Founder of ARM, a renowned chip design company, were invited to share their insights. Officials from the Science and Technology Innovation and Big Data Managementment Bureau of Nanjing Jiangbei New Area and the Nanjing Jiangbei New Area Industrial Technology Research and Innovation Park also participated in the event.

At the beginning of the event, Professor Daping Chu expressed his sincere gratitude to the guests and alumni in attendance. “With a focus on application-oriented research and the goal of commercialisation, the Centre has actively engaged in the entire industrial chain, from S&T innovation to the transformation and commercialisation of these achievements. The Centre is committed to application-oriented research that bridges the gap between the upstream and the downstream of the industrial chains, which exemplifies the core competitiveness of CUNJC.”

On behalf of the University of Cambridge, Mr. Josh Bowerman expressed his gratitude to all participants of the event. He pointed out that the University of Cambridge is at the forefront of innovation and discovery for many centuries, and asking and answering difficult questions is what people do at Cambridge. “The partnership between the University and Nanjing Centre is one of the ways this University continues to ask and answer these important questions. And we are really proud of these efforts and achievements,” Mr. Josh Bowerman added.

The vigorous momentum of innovation and entrepreneurship relies on the support of local fertile ground for science and innovation. As introduced by Mr. Wang Yuanhua, by building a national leading innovative city, Nanjing is integrating S&T forces and gathering talents and resources to accelerate the construction of regional S&T innovation hub and attract talent platforms, creating a main carrier of industrial S&T innovation hubs with global influence. To this end, he sent a “talent invitation” to all Cambridge and Oxford alumni present, inviting more of them expand business opportunities, conduct R&D, start businesses and work in Nanjing, feel the “innovation and creativity” vitality of Nanjing at close range, work together for the future high-quality development of Nanjing, and create new advantages for Nanjing to lead the high-quality development.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are the engines of economic growth, and prospective technological research and the transformation of achievements are key drivers of high-quality development. As the first research institution established by the University of Cambridge outside the UK and the only overseas centre of technology and innovation bearing the esteemed Cambridge name, CUNJC draws upon the university's global reputation, forward-looking and world-leading technological applications, and dynamic innovation experience derived from the world’s most concentrated high-tech cluster, the “Cambridge Cluster.” Moreover, the Centre places a strong emphasis on application-oriented innovation and actively introduces applied research projects from the University of Cambridge while fostering collaborations with innovation entities, including renowned domestic universities, research institutes, and leading enterprises. Throughout this process, the Centre leverages cutting-edge and future-oriented technologies to address difficulties and challenges in the market. It drives deep industry demands, facilitates the integration of industry, academia, research, and application, and builds a comprehensive ecosystem for research and innovation. This ecosystem encompasses technological R&D, operational management, and market expansion, ensuring a continuous and efficient transformation of applied outcomes from the front end to the middle and terminal. As a result, CUNJC continuously delivers technological achievements that serve the purpose of facilitating high-quality development.

Over the past four years, aligned with these development philosophies and leveraging its scientific research advantages, several projects that were previously in the research or incubation phase have now transitioned to the commercialisation stage or have established their startups.

During the salon, senior investors such as Alan Song, Managing Partner of SoftBank China Venture Capital, and Johnny He, Founding Partner of SinoVest Capital and Partner ofCoStone Pujiang Capital, as well as alumni technology entrepreneurs including Lin Tao, Founder of North Ocean Photonics, and Deng Yuanbo, Founder of Reavis, shared their invaluable insights. From the perspectives of capital and enterprise, which decoded the challenges and opportunities faced by application-oriented innovation and entrepreneurship.

Under the theme of “Technology and Investment,” Alan Song shared his thoughts on investment-driven application-oriented technological innovation, drawing from his experience as a professional investor. With a remarkable track record spanning over 20 years in the investment field, coupled with profound and distinctive business insights, he currently holds directorial positions in multiple high-tech companies, contributing to investment and management endeavours.

Alan emphasised two feasible paths for current technology and innovation investment: first, targeting large-scale and high-potential investments closely related to essential social needs; second, focusing on the intersections between technology and core economic industries. These two paths also present opportunities for engaging in application-oriented research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, through the example of the new energy industry, he deeply analysed the current super cycle in emerging S&T fields.

Dr. Johnny He, a graduate of electronic engineering MEMS at the University of Cambridge, shared his diverse expertise in policy research, technology R&D, entrepreneurship, and S&T investment. Under the theme "From Innovation to Entrepreneurship, and to Venture Capital," he explained the interconnectedness of “innovation”, “entrepreneurship” and “venture capital”.  His insightful analysis centred on two key questions: “What kind of technological innovation is possibly successful”, and “What kind of scientific and technological innovation entrepreneurs are worth investing in.”

According to Johnny He, first, “Innovation is the foundation of entrepreneurship, but not all technological innovations guarantee successful ventures. Market-driven innovation outperforms technology-driven innovation, and technological innovations that address social needs are the driving forces behind enterprise growth.” Second, “The entrepreneurial spirit, combined with technological innovation lies at the heart of enterprise development.” He highlighted that “Venture capital investments place greater emphasis on the entrepreneurial spirit, the team, and the growth potential and stability of the selected industry.”

The two Cambridge alumni and entrepreneurs talked about their own stories on application-oriented technology and innovation. They discussed specific practices of “application-oriented technology innovation” and penetrating the industry demands and trends.

“ ‘Integrated Photonics’ replacing ‘Integrated Electronics’ is a predictable and irreversible transformation, ” stated Lin Tao, Chairman of North Ocean Photonics and a PhD in Optoelectronics from the University of Cambridge. Focusing on applications in photonics consumption, North Ocean Photonics is committed to innovative applications in the frontier fields of photonics and optoelectronics and combining innovative approaches in integrated optics and integrated circuits. As introduced, North Ocean Photonics has developed multiple product lines at the application level, including micro-nano optics and machine vision, AR displays, and automotive lidar. The company has established a complete in-house IDM loop, spanning from design to mass production. For now, it has raised nearly 1 billion RMB.

Focusing on “Technology Entrepreneurship and Early-stage Financing,” Dr. Deng Yuanbo, Founder of Reavis and a PhD graduate from the Engineering Department of the University of Cambridge, discussed the journey of technological transformation in application-oriented S&T entrepreneurship. He shed light on the crucial role of capital in accelerating industrial application. According to Dr. Deng, the challenge in application-oriented technology entrepreneurship lies in identifying market-ready application scenarios for advanced technologies and exploring angel investor groups. In this process, entrepreneurs need to set clear phased goals and leverage the strength of capital to expedite industrial implementation. As an application-oriented science company dedicated to developing cutting-edge Head-Up Display (HUD) systems for vehicles, Reavis has yielded significant fruits within just over two years since its inception. This includes obtaining multiple international patents under the PCT system and completing three rounds of financing.

The salon event reached its climax with the presence of Hermann Hauser, the Founder of ARM. Under the theme “The Innovative Future for Entrepreneurs”, Dr. Hauser delivered a captivating and insightful speech online. As a chip architecture design company rooted in Cambridge, ARM holds a significant position in the global semiconductor industry chain. Starting from ARM's success story, Dr. Hauser shared valuable insights on future planning for the company, trends of AI, and his interest in innovative application scenarios, among other topics. He also engaged in online exchanges with the audiences, evoking strong reactions within the alumni community.

Throughout its history, the University of Cambridge has always embraced its mission of “contributing to society through academic and knowledge advancement.” Commercialisation and application of scientific research have been key aspects in fulfilling this mission. As the supporting platform for Cambridge's comprehensive development in China, CUNJC has actively connected with the alumni community, making it a cornerstone of application-oriented innovation. The Centre has also consistently emphasised the integration of its concept of application-oriented innovative research into all aspects of its work with schoolfellows. The Centre has organised numerous alumnisalons and annual meetings, involving Cambridge alumni in its international technology roadshows. Additionally, the Centre has provided incubation services for technology-oriented alumni start-ups, enabling them to establish a presence within its facilities. By promoting the integration and development of the “Centre + City + Alumni” ecosystem, CUNJC has made significant contributions to the growth of Nanjing's industrial strength and the development of an innovation city.