Shenzhen, 30 April – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China, the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SEM), and the Shenzhen Futian District People's Government today jointly launched the UNDP SDG Innovation Pilot Project on Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the UNDP-Tsinghua Youth Talent Hub.  
 
As the first UNDP SDG Innovation Lab in China dedicated to youth innovation and entrepreneurship, the Youth Talent Hub aims to bring together diverse stakeholders to examine trends, challenges, and opportunities in youth entrepreneurship, including for women and persons with disabilities. The Lab will promote knowledge sharing and peer learning, while establishing a scalable national platform to empower young changemakers. The Lab is located in Shenzhen, one of the 11 National Demonstration Zones to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in China.   
 
“Young people are not just beneficiaries of the SDGs. They are the architects and driving force. Youth Talent Hub is a timely response to both China’s national priorities and the need to accelerate progress in the last mile towards the 2030 Agenda deadline, putting young people at the heart of sustainable development,” said James George, UNDP Resident Representative ad interim for China, in his remarks. 
 
“With strong partnership, this project will integrate youth innovation and entrepreneurship with sustainable development, equipping young people with skills, opportunities, and real-world experience. It will also build an open, sustainable platform that links training, incubation, resources, and exchange, generating replicable results to better serve youth and the SDGs,” said Ai Yinfang, Deputy Director General of CICETE, in her speech. 
 
Building on Tsinghua's experience in talent development and UNDP's global development expertise, the Youth Talent Hub will focus on four pillars: SDG education, international exchanges, talent development, and youth innovation. Through integrated support, from curriculum and grants to market linkages, the Hub will help strengthen youth entrepreneurship ecosystems, foster collaboration across government, academia, and industry, and accelerate progress toward the SDGs. 
 
"The Youth Talent Hub is an innovative practice of tripartite collaboration between an international organization, a top-tier university, and a local government," said Yuan Ying, Deputy District Mayor of the Futian District Government. "As Shenzhen's central district and a national innovation & entrepreneurship demonstration base, Futian will leverage the Hub to build an international youth exchange hub, cultivate sustainable development talent, and foster an AI+ innovation ecosystem, nurturing globally-minded youth leaders for Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area, and writing Futian's chapter in the deep integration of sustainable development and youth innovation." 
 
Bai Chong'en, Dean of the Tsinghua SEM, pointed out in his address that “At this critical juncture of global green transition and youth development, the Youth Talent Hub will draw on the expertise and strengths of all partners to support youth innovation and entrepreneurship for sustainable development, deepen co-construction of education systems and international exchanges, integrate China's youth innovation experiences into global governance processes, and help build a more inclusive and sustainable future.” 
 
The launch ceremony brought together representatives, guests, and experts from UNDP, CICETE, Tsinghua SEM, the Shenzhen Futian District Government, and China Youth Daily. Participants discussed approaches to enhancing youth entrepreneurship ecosystems and strengthening collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions for talent development. 
 
During the project introduction, He Ping, Deputy Dean of the Tsinghua SEM and National Project Director (NPD) of the Youth Talent Hub, outlined the Hub's background, objectives, and core priorities. He noted that the Hub will serve as a platform integrating four core concepts: Innovation, Empowerment, Talent, and Sustainability, and will function as a collaborative global platform to pilot youth-led solutions for development challenges in a rapidly changing global context. 
 
This was followed by a multi-stakeholder roundtable dialogue titled “Youth Innovation & Synergy: Co-building a New Enabling Ecosystem”. It was moderated by Gao Xin, Youth Development Specialist of UNDP China, with panelists including  Wu Dezu, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Youth Daily, Savinda Ranathunga, Youth Portfolio Manager of UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH), Nie Xiaomei, Associate Professor at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, and Wang Hanyuan, United Nations SDG Young Leader. The dialogue explored how stakeholders can work together to foster an enabling environment for youth innovation and entrepreneurship and how to empower young people in contributing to sustainable development. 
 
Looking ahead, the Youth Talent Hub will strive to become a leading platform for youth innovation in China. Based in Shenzhen and connected to regional resources, it will harness young people’s creativity to help them develop and scale innovative solutions, and empower them to become changemakers, advancing progress towards the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and supporting China's high-quality development.