The Innovation Culture Forum, one of the highlights of the 17th Pujiang Innovation Forum 2024, was held at Shanghai's Zhangjiang Science Hall on Sept 8.

Themed "Delve into the Essence, Develop Culture and Technology Synergy", the forum, joined by several renowned domestic and international experts, scholars and entrepreneurs, explored the key issues of innovation culture, such as its definition and cultivation process.

As culture is closely tied with science and technology, a specific cultural environment is not only conducive to the process of technological innovation, but also instrumental in the formation of social culture, said the event organizer.

Paul Burrows, the secretary-general of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations, said that to foster cultural connections and global innovation, the world needs to be united to address the unprecedented environmental and societal challenges.

Additionally, a panel talk was hosted for guest speakers to further discuss and share their ideas on innovation culture. Among them, Xu Jian, the associate dean of the School of Media and Communication at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, compared Shanghai's thriving open cafe space with traditional private room space, and said that open-mindedness and network collaboration are the essence of an innovation culture.

Since its inception in 2008 by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the Pujiang Innovation Forum has consistently revolved around the theme of innovation, aiming to gather global innovative forces to discuss trends in technological innovation, build an open innovation ecosystem, forge consensus on innovation governance, and actively respond to the challenges of the times and significant global issues.

The forum runs through Sept 10.

Li Junfeng contributed to this story.