How scientist-entrepreneurs are shaping China’s future

During a summer trip to Europe 15 years ago, I sat with friends in a Monaco hotel as we discussed their bold new idea. One of them, trained in technology and just beginning his entrepreneurial journey, shared his vision: to make the lectures of world-class professors accessible online to college students across China. I admired his passion, though I doubted whether such a venture could succeed.

Not long ago, that company, now a leading provider of digital solutions for higher education in China, went public in Hong Kong with a valuation exceeding HK$10 billion. My friend’s journey is not an isolated tale, but an example of a broader transformation: a growing number of Chinese scientists, engineers and technically trained graduates are emerging as a new breed of entrepreneurs. Their rise signals a fundamental shift in China’s growth model, from decades of property-driven expansion towards an innovation-led future.

Over the last year, during my visits to mainland China, I have met many scientist-entrepreneurs. Their conversations often return to a single theme: how to capture the momentum of a hi-tech surge that began more than a decade ago and has since redefined China’s growth logic and the aspirations of its younger generation.