Dragon Soars Across the Seas, Vision Shapes the Future | Call for Entries: 2022 China Eye Valley Global Ophthalmic Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge

As a rare “dual-high” sector characterized by high growth potential and high entry barriers, the eye health industry has long been hailed as the “golden track” in the capital markets.In 2022, the “14th Five-Year Plan for Eye Health” was officially released, elevating eye health to a national strategy and once again drawing significant attention from all sectors of society.The ophthalmology sector encompasses a wide range of diseases, boasts a large patient base, and has low treatment penetration.Driven by factors such as population aging, remote work, home-based learning, and frequent use of electronic devices, the incidence of ophthalmic diseases is showing a trend toward affecting younger demographics and experiencing rapid growth. Concurrently, public awareness and understanding of eye health are steadily increasing., presenting a vast blue ocean of demand. Driven by policy support, the scale of the potential patient population, and technological innovation,The market size and investment value of the eye health industry are expanding rapidly.

To further attract high-quality talent and intellectual resources from both domestic and international sources, strengthen incubation and innovation, and build a world-leading hub for technological innovation and talent in the eye health industry,China Eye ValleyJointly with the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and other relevant institutions, will plan to hold the “2022 China Eye Valley Global Challenge for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Optometry” Launch a global optometry and vision care brand competition, establishing China’s benchmark city for optometry and vision care.

Official Website of the Competition:2022 China Eye Valley Global Challenge for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Optometry (eyevalley.org)

FocusOptometryPharmaceuticals, medical devices, clinical diagnostic technologies, consumables, eye care products, 3D printing materials; optometry cloud computing, AI technology, big data, internet healthcare, consumer healthcare services, online health consultations, visual health management, medical insurance, and other medical devices.

Project Registration and Call for Entries Phase:September 2022–November 1, 2022.

Online Qualifier Stage:September 2022 to early November 2022, online qualifiers; specific dates to be announced.

Finals and Industry Forum:November 11–12, 2022: The offline finals and industry forum were held concurrently as part of the World Young Scientists Summit.

2022 China Eye Valley Global Challenge for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Optometry(The “Eye Valley Challenge”) awards one first prize, two second prizes, and three third prizes. Outstanding projects in the Eye Valley Challenge may benefit from the existing policies of China Eye Valley. Projects winning first or second prizes in the Eye Valley Challenge will be recommended to participate in the Wenzhou Municipal Competition. Projects that win awards in the Wenzhou Municipal Competition shall simultaneously enjoy the benefits of Wenzhou municipal-level policies, Longwan District-level policies, and the existing policies of China Eye Valley.

lCity Competition Prize Money:The Wenzhou municipal-level competition features first, second, and third prizes, with cash awards of RMB 300,000, RMB 200,000, and RMB 100,000, respectively. The specific disbursement methods shall be implemented in accordance with Wenzhou City’s support policies and measures.

lLanding Grants:Projects winning the first, second, and third prizes in the Eye Valley Challenge that establish operations at China Eye Valley in Longwan District shall be eligible for comprehensive subsidies of no less than RMB 6 million, RMB 3 million, and RMB 2 million, respectively. These comprehensive subsidies will be disbursed in forms such as “Entrepreneurship Vouchers” and “Entrepreneurship Development Grants.” Specifically, Entrepreneurship Vouchers will be issued at standards of RMB 800,000, RMB 600,000, and RMB 400,000 for first-, second-, and third-prize projects, respectively, and will be redeemed after the enterprises complete their project establishment at China Eye Valley. Entrepreneurship Development Grants will be disbursed in installments based on competition results, project progress, capital investment, output value contribution, and other factors. Specific administrative measures and operational guidelines shall be formulated separately by the Science and Technology Bureau of Longwan District.

lConstruction Funding:FuPriority support will be given to applicants that meet the criteria for “High-Level Innovation Teams,” with construction grants ranging from RMB 1 million to RMB 30 million. The specific disbursement methods shall refer to Wenzhou City’s policy measures for support.

lTalent Incentives:Priority inclusion in major talent programs, with individual awards ranging from 150,000 to 1 million yuan and housing subsidies ranging from 400,000 to 1 million yuan; eligible candidates will be included directly without review. Specific implementation methods shall refer to Wenzhou City’s support policies and measures.

lTransportation Allowance:Transportation subsidies will be provided to each project team traveling to Wenzhou for the finals or award ceremony, at the following rates: RMB 7,000 for teams from Europe and America, RMB 3,500 for teams from Asia, RMB 2,000 for teams from outside Zhejiang Province but within China, and RMB 1,000 for teams from other cities within Zhejiang Province.

lResource Matching:High-quality projects will have the opportunity to establish business collaborations and resource alignment with the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and leading enterprises in Wenzhou. Additionally, project teams will be periodically organized to visit eye hospitals within the China Optometry Alliance or listed companies in the eye health sector for study tours, resource matching, and other partner support initiatives.

lRecommended Priority:High-quality selected projects will be given priority recommendation for participation in relevant national and local science and technology funding programs.

lCompany Introduction:High-quality selected projects may have their promotional information published on the official platform of the competition.

lMedia Reports:High-quality selected projects may receive media coverage from VCBeat, including opportunities such as exclusive reports on financing and investment, as well as coverage of innovation and entrepreneurship.

lInnovation Capability:Teams that reach the finals and establish operations in China Eye Valley will receive dedicated financial support for innovative drug R&D, innovative medical device R&D, overseas promotion of device products, and the development of shared R&D platforms. Specific implementation details shall follow the policy measures outlined in the “Ten Articles of Eye Valley.”

lIndustrial Tier:For all teams that reach the finals and establish their operations in China Eye Valley, financial rewards, rental subsidies, and other incentives will be provided to support their upgrading and expansion, scaling up, attraction of major investments and high-caliber talent, and market development. Specific implementation details shall refer to the policy measures outlined in the “Ten Articles for Eye Valley.”

lDevelopment Environment:Financial subsidies will be provided to all teams that reach the finals and establish their operations in China Eye Valley, particularly those contributing to the green development of the industry. The specific implementation methods shall refer to the policy measures outlined in the “Ten Articles for Eye Valley.”

Scan the QR code to register, or clickOfficial Website of the Competition:2022 China Eye Valley Global Challenge for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Optometry (eyevalley.org)Sign Up

(Recommended to open on a PC,Click “Login” to access the registration system, create an account as required, and fill in your competition details.）

China Eye Valley is the world’s first comprehensive hub for eye health innovation, industry, and talent, jointly established by the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and the Longwan District People’s Government with key support from Zhejiang Province and Wenzhou City. Based in the Wenzhou National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and the National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, and leveraging the ophthalmology and optometry disciplines of Wenzhou Medical University along with four national-level technological innovation platforms, China Eye Valley integrates advanced global concepts and resources to advance the development of the entire eye health value chain. It is committed to building a world-class cluster for scientific research and development, industrial incubation, academic exchange, high-end medical care, and the aggregation of innovative talent.