Feishu Brings Archemides to the Podium at the 5th Shanghai Talent Innovation Competition

Where global ideas meet China’s innovation stage

Overview

On November 25, the 5th Shanghai Talent Summit Global Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition concluded at the West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center, marking one of its most internationally diverse editions. Thanks to Feishu’s global outreach efforts, teams from multiple continents joined the event. Among the 152 finalists and 60 prize winners, Marco Francesco D’Elia, an Italian chemist and founder of Archemides, earned a Bronze Prize, making him the only foreign participant to receive a prize this year. His project High-Performance PPM: A New SMART Recyclable Polymer for Next-Generation Corrosion Protection, stood out for its originality, practicality, and strong alignment with global industrial needs.

West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center

5th Shanghai Talent Global Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition

This year’s 5th Shanghai Talent+ Summit highlighted Shanghai’s ambition to become a leading global innovation hub. Held at the West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center, the event drew record international engagement, with the Shanghai Global Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition receiving 14,723 submissions worldwide, its most diverse and widely participated edition so far.

From 152 finalists, 60 outstanding projects earned prizes, including six gold, 18 silver, and 36 bronze awards, sharing a total prize pool of over 2.5 million RMB. Beyond the awards, the competition showcased Shanghai’s shift from single-point support to building a full innovation ecosystem. This year introduced expanded infrastructure at the Shanghai Talent+ Entrepreneurship City, strengthened global mentor networks, a new entrepreneurship community alliance, and the launch of a state-backed venture capital fund aimed at high-potential technologies. Together, these initiatives reinforce Shanghai’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, dynamic, and globally connected environment for innovators.

Feishu’s Role in Elevating Global Participation

Feishu significantly enhanced the international presence of this year’s competition by bringing over 20 innovation-driven teams from 10 countries, including Switzerland, Spain, Indonesia, Canada, and others across Europe, Asia, and North America. These teams greatly enriched the diversity and competitiveness of the event.

Crucially, Feishu’s efforts directly contributed to the competition’s global success: for the first time, a foreign participant reached the awards podium, showcasing the impact of international collaboration and the platform’s openness to global innovators. Feishu continues to bridge overseas talent with China’s dynamic market, enabling foreign entrepreneurs to build valuable connections and gain visibility on major innovation stages.

Archemides' Bronze Prize

Archemides’ Solution

Marco D’Elia’s award-winning project introduces ARCHEMID™, a new class of recyclable, high-performance polymer coatings designed to tackle the enormous global challenge of corrosion, an issue costing industries trillions of dollars every year. ARCHEMID™ offers a modern alternative to outdated coating technologies by combining durability, thermal stability, water repellence, and fluorescence-based corrosion detection in one simple, easy-to-apply material. As one of the few international prize recipients, Marco traveled to Shanghai to participate in the finals and presented ARCHEMID™ on site, highlighting the project’s growing recognition on the international stage.

Marco D'Elia meets Luis Seco at Feishu

Marco: The Lone International Honoree

This year’s competition showcased remarkable global talent, and Feishu played a central role in making the event truly international. Among the 60 award recipients, Marco D’Elia stood out as the only foreign innovator to receive a prize, highlighting both the strength of his work and Feishu’s mission of bringing world-class technology to China. As the competition continues to expand its global reach, Feishu remains committed to supporting international entrepreneurs, fostering collaboration, and helping shape the future of innovation in China.