The flower of innovation and entrepreneurship can also bloom everywhere in rural areas

In the past two years, more and more individuals, groups and institutions have devoted themselves to or taken part in the wave of mass entrepreneurship and innovation. But when it comes to "mass entrepreneurship and innovation," many people often begin by talking about Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, multinational companies, or returnee PhDs and top institutions. Does that mean the success stories of "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" are only "high-end"?

The answer to this question is clearly no. Practice has proved that small and medium-sized cities and rural fields are also fertile ground for "mass entrepreneurship and innovation," and ordinary people, small teams and small businesses can also become "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" stars. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stressed: "We will inspire and protect entrepreneurship, and encourage more entities to make innovations and start businesses." The massive emergence of the new economy and new forms of business has brought more opportunities to entrepreneurs who have dreams and the courage to strive, and the participation of more social entities will bring greater vitality to advancing "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" and advancing supply-side structural reform.

With the in-depth implementation of national strategies such as "Internet Plus," technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence have added new momentum to more and more industries and given "wings" for innovation and entrepreneurship to more and more dream builders. Take agriculture and rural areas, which are not hot fields for "mass entrepreneurship and innovation," as an example. In recent years, migrant workers, retired soldiers, college and secondary school graduates, and even urban residents have returned to or gone to the countryside, forming a powerful force that takes root in rural areas, develops agriculture and enriches farmers.

Relying on the new momentum of modern science and technology and new thinking such as "Internet Plus," they are changing the face of rural areas, the form of agriculture and the lives of farmers. For example, Li Caisheng, hailed as an "agricultural new maker," has brought high technology to farmers by developing and promoting agricultural plant protection drone products, becoming a representative of "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" in Shenzhen. Ding Jiaqi of Fuxin, Liaoning Province, returned to his hometown in 2014 after graduating from Shenyang Agricultural University. Cooperating with the Fuxin 12316 Jinnong Hotline Service Platform, he used mobile internet technology to provide local farmers with information services such as technology extension, forming a large database of rural agricultural consultation. On the one hand, it provides industry data analysis for the government; on the other hand, it helps farmers recover losses of more than 1 million yuan annually on average.

Today, more and more entrepreneurs, especially college students, are heading to rural areas. In April and July of this year, the Ministry of Education, relying on the platform of China's "Internet Plus" College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, organized and carried out the "Youth Red Dream Building Journey" practical activity. Hundreds of participating teams went to Yan'an in groups, matching innovation and entrepreneurship projects with the development needs of the old revolutionary base areas and helping targeted poverty alleviation and poverty eradication, achieving good results.

Of course, although agriculture and rural areas are fertile ground for "mass entrepreneurship and innovation," the growth of entrepreneurial seedlings still needs the warmth of sunshine and the nourishment of rain and dew. In recent years, the state has issued a series of policies encouraging "mass entrepreneurship and innovation," including both improvements to the business environment brought by streamlining administration and delegating power, and real financial support. However, in the face of the "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" needs of agriculture and rural areas, targeted policy design and funding investment are still insufficient.

Changing this situation requires the joint efforts of many parties. On the one hand, government departments need to consider promoting "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" in agriculture and rural areas at the level of securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and implementing the rural revitalization strategy, aiming to cultivate new types of agricultural business entities and improve the agricultural socialized service system, and improve the policy system. In particular, the construction of infrastructure such as the internet and logistics, including "express delivery to villages," needs to be accelerated. On the other hand, industry associations and venture capital institutions should also pay more attention to agriculture and go more to rural areas, build platforms for entrepreneurs to connect with capital, and provide entrepreneurs with diversified services such as policy consultation, technical support and personnel training. This can not only help "mass entrepreneurship and innovation," but will also open up a "new blue ocean" for investors, because agricultural and rural modernization contains countless business opportunities, and "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

It must be said frankly that entrepreneurship and innovation are difficult, especially in rural areas. However, as long as entrepreneurs take deep root in the land of China and increase their wisdom and abilities, and as long as national policies and the social environment provide sufficient external support, the vast countryside can see "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" flowers bloom everywhere and can harvest sweet "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" fruits.