The preliminary round of the digital economy category at the 3rd China-Africa Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held in Shanghai on Friday [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The preliminary round of the digital economy category at the 3rd China-Africa Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held in Shanghai on Friday, showcasing joint efforts by young innovators from China and African countries to drive growth through digital transformation.
The competition, held at Tongji University, aims to inspire entrepreneurship among the youth and build a platform for exchanges， with a focus on the digital economy realm.
The digital economy preliminaries drew 19 projects spanning sectors like the internet, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, design services, cross-border payments, machine translation, and smart logistics. Over 30 participants from 12 countries including China, Algeria, Comoros, and Ethiopia competed.
"This competition is becoming a platform for igniting entrepreneurial spirit among youth, expanding innovation cooperation, and facilitating exchanges between the next generations of China and Africa," said Xu Baowen, deputy director of the China-Africa Innovation Cooperation Center, adding that Tongji University has made great contributions in promoting such scientific and cultural ties.
Adel Zahran, economic and commercial counselor of the Consulate General of Egypt in Shanghai, hailed the event as timely given Africa's digital transformation with over 60 percent of the population under 25. "This demographic dividend combined with China technological progress and innovation ecosystem creates unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and growth," he said.
Randrianarivo Harime Sylvia from Madagascar's Ministry of Communication noted the digital economy is a key driver of growth, resilience, and opportunities. China's technological achievements offer valuable experience for Africa in leveraging strategic innovation and digital infrastructure investment for sustainable development, she added.
Sun Yixue, dean of the International School, Tongji University, expressed hope the competition can rekindle the youth's passion for unlocking human potential through innovation and entrepreneurship, providing a guiding light for global youth in these realms.

The preliminary round of the digital economy category at the 3rd China-Africa Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held in Shanghai on Friday [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

After expert evaluation rounds, four first prizes, six-second prizes, nine third prizes and a best organization award were selected from the all-digital economy projects.
At afternoon roadshows hosted by Shenzhen Transsion Holdings Co Ltd, the four first-prize winners showcased their project plans, implementation, expected impacts and other details.
The Mulan — micro high-load transport robot project harnesses lightweight robots to enhance heavy logistics in harsh environments. The Control the World — real-time gesture drive system tackles gesture recognition accuracy challenges faced by various industries.
The Smart Water Purification — Green Source for Africa's Future project combines advanced water treatment technologies to address Africa's water scarcity challenges. Meanwhile, JUTOU, an intelligent investment platform for sustainable housing development in Africa project is a platform linking Chinese capital and African housing development projects.
A mentor panel discussion was also held for participants to gain insights on guiding China-Africa youth innovation projects to success afterward.
The event was jointly hosted by Tongji University, the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, the China Science and Technology Exchange Center and the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei province, and supported by Shenzhen Transsion Holdings Co Ltd.