Fierce Competition, Sharpening Excellence: 2022 China Eye Valley Global Ophthalmic Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge Finals Kick Off

The eye health industry is undoubtedly one of the hottest niche sectors in recent years.

According to the “2022 Ophthalmology Industry Research Report” released by VCBeat, China’s eye health market has maintained a high double-digit growth rate since 2014. By 2021, the total market size for eye health had reached RMB 210 billion and is expected to continue growing.

Behind this lies the unmet needs of 400 million ophthalmic patients in China. As population aging intensifies and modern lifestyles evolve, the burden of eye diseases in China will become increasingly prominent, driving substantial demand for eye health services. Consequently, the industry requires greater influxes of top-tier talent, advanced technologies, and innovative projects.

Against this backdrop, the “2022 International Summit on Eye Health Science and Technology & China Eye Valley Global Challenge for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Optometry” (hereinafter referred to as the “Global Challenge for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Optometry”) was launched to actively attract high-quality talent and intellectual resources from both domestic and overseas sources, strengthen incubation and innovation, and establish a world-leading hub for scientific and technological innovation and talent in the eye health industry.

Since its launch in September, after two months of fierce competition, the Grand Finals of the 2022 China Eye Valley Global Challenge for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Optometry and Ophthalmology officially commenced in Longwan, Wenzhou, on November 12. Twenty global projects competed intensely through roadshow presentations.

It is reported that the competition was guided by the China Association for Science and Technology and the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, hosted by the Zhejiang Association for Science and Technology and the People’s Government of Wenzhou Municipality, and jointly organized by the Wenzhou Association for Science and Technology, the Organization Department of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee (Municipal Talent Office), the Wenzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the Wenzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the Communist Youth League Wenzhou Municipal Committee, Wenzhou Medical University, the People’s Government of Longwan District, Wenzhou Municipality, the Administrative Committee of Wenzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone (Wenzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone), and the China Eye Valley Wenzhou International Innovation Center for Optometry and Ophthalmology.

An analysis of the finalists reveals a diverse cohort of competitors, including university professors, researchers, industry leaders, and young scientists. Notably, many of the projects stem from research commercialization efforts at prestigious institutions such as the University of Oxford, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Peking University. Furthermore, the finalists cover cutting-edge fields such as ophthalmic materials, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, smart healthcare, ophthalmic devices and equipment, big data platforms for ophthalmology, and digital therapeutics, showcasing a rich variety of innovative types. This indicates that high-caliber industrial projects derived from eye health are gradually emerging.

At the opening of the competition, Qu Jia, Chairman of China Eye Valley and Director of the Wenzhou International Innovation Center for Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Jin Longjun, Deputy Director of the Wenzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, delivered remarks. They respectively outlined the support, recognition, and expectations provided by Wenzhou City, Wenzhou Medical University, and its Affiliated Eye Hospital and Optometry Center for the development of China Eye Valley. Li Dan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Longwan District Committee of the Communist Party of China and Executive Deputy District Mayor, attended the event in person.

Address by Qu Jia, Chairman of China Eye Valley and Director of the Wenzhou International Innovation Center for Optometry and Ophthalmology

Jin Longjun, Deputy Director of the Wenzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Delivers Address

Following the opening remarks, under the organization of Xu Liangde, Secretary-General of China Eye Valley and Executive Director of the Innovation Center, the strategic cooperation signing ceremony for the challenge projects commenced. Eight major projects, serving as representatives of the 168 signed projects, reached follow-up cooperation intentions with China Eye Valley. These eight projects include: the PAUL® Glaucoma Implant (PGI) by Ji Chang’an’s team; the new generation of human-derived recombinant nerve growth factor eye drops by Lu Shixiang’s team; the development of drugs targeting novel mechanisms for immune-related ocular diseases by Guo Shuhua’s team; EG-301 for the treatment of dry macular degeneration by Hu Tao’s team; medical-engineering collaborative innovations for precise diagnosis and treatment of fundus vascular diseases by Xia Chaoyang’s team; the Maiting optical biometer by Dai Xiangsong’s team; silicon-based yellow light eye-care lighting products by Zhao Heqi’s team; and one-stop solutions for cell culture and exosome preparation by Luo Wanhua’s team.

Project Representative Signing

Subsequently, representatives of the competing projects delivered compelling pitch presentations. At the event, Cui Xiaoyu, Chief Technology Officer of Carbon Card Intelligent Manufacturing, also presented on “Research and Development and Industrialization of Pathological Image Analysis Equipment Based on ‘Bright-Dark Pupil’ Eye-Tracking Gaze Technology.”

Twelve senior experts and industry leaders in optometry and ophthalmology served as judges, conducting on-site evaluations and scoring based on criteria such as project overview, team collaboration, and market prospects. Following assessments and scoring by numerous experts and attendees, the final awards were announced: two First Prizes, four Second Prizes, six Third Prizes, and eight Excellence Awards.