Sichuan holds entrepreneurship competition for veterans in Zigong

The final and award ceremony of the fourth Sichuan Provincial Veterans Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition took place in Zigong, Sichuan province, on Sept. 21-22, showcasing businesses launched by veterans and promoting employment through entrepreneurship.

The competition featured four categories: emerging and future industries, traditional industries, consumer services, and modern agriculture and rural revitalization.

Since registration opened in March, the competition has attracted 427 veteran entrepreneurs with 371 projects. Their ventures span fields including artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, low-altitude security, smart agriculture and animal husbandry, and digital cultural tourism. A total of sixty projects advanced to the final after the provincial semifinal on Sept. 10.

A panel of judges comprising industry professionals, entrepreneurship mentors, university researchers, and representatives from the financial and investment sectors evaluated the finalists on innovation, market prospects, social value and job creation potential.

In each category, judges awarded one first prize, three second prizes, five third prizes and six merit awards.

Sichuan has held the competition four times since 2020 to support employment and entrepreneurship among veterans. A total of 3,927 veterans have taken part across the four editions with 1,477 projects.

The initiative has helped channel resources toward veteran-led businesses. To date, veterans in Sichuan have established 360,100 business entities.