The 4th "GCL Cup" International Collegiate Green Energy Technology Innovation and Business Startup Contest, an annual event initiated by Chinese new and clean energy conglomerate GCL Group in 2015, kicked off in SIP on May 9. Themed “Innovative Utilization of Green Energy & Dialogue with Future", the event is designed to light university and college students' passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.

This year's event reportedly embraces innovation projects and business startups engaged in green energy sources, smart energy utilization technologies, artificial intelligence, nano-materials, Internet of Things and biomedicine. The finals will be held in October and the winners will take home money awards worth over RMB 300,000 and receive policy, talent, financial and technical support from the local government, GCL Group and social investors.

The 3rd Suzhou Dushu Lake Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum opened on the same day, incorporating keynote speeches given by officials from science and technology authorities and a roadshow of projects from Peking University and Tongji University that won awards in the contest's previous sessions.