6 November — first steps into Jinan's innovation ecosystem
Our journey began with an event hosted by the Shanghe Talent Office together with the local Investment Office. Walking through the exhibition panels, built to showcase the industrial strengths and entrepreneurial spirit of Jinan, felt like entering a gateway to the region's technological ambitions. Here VAIMEE presented Agorà and AgriTwix to representatives of the government's investment bodies.
We took the stage for an intense eight-minute pitch, followed by eight minutes of questions from the competition judges — a real test of our vision and of the potential of our solutions.
8 November — ceremony, recognition and cultural dialogue
The day opened with a plenary conference attended by significant political figures, including the Mayor of Jinan, and we discovered why the city is known as "Spring City". The excitement peaked at the award ceremony: VAIMEE took third place.
In the afternoon we met Wan Youjin, Vice Secretary of the District Committee and Head of Jiyang, who set out the region's cultural heritage, ecological agriculture and strategic advantages for industrial investment.
The day closed with visits to two agricultural enterprises: Axincense, focused on seedling automation and grafting technologies, and Qudi, a demonstration hub for integrated cucumber and tomato production.
Technology, research and new connections
We visited the Jinan Supercomputing Center, presenting our project to guests from Shandong University, and toured the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Machinery Sciences, where President Yang Huawei shared its history and current research. The trip ended with a guided visit to Shandong University, founded in 1901.
More than a competition, this was a bridge between Italy and China, a validation of our work and an open door to future collaboration.
