Entrepreneurs from Zhejiang and Switzerland discuss at the 2019 Zhejiang-Switzerland Innovation Forum in Hangzhou on April 2. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Young entrepreneurs from East China's Zhejiang province and Switzerland gathered in Hangzhou on April 2 for a forum featuring in-depth discussions on the continuation and innovative development of businesses.

Attendees shared their views on how to carry forward traditions while at the same time promoting innovation at the 2019 Zhejiang-Switzerland Innovation Forum, which was designed to boost exchange and cooperation between the two countries in terms of economy, science and technology and culture.

All parties agreed that young people should shoulder more responsibility and give full play to their imagination and creativity.

The International Innovation Institute of Zhejiang University inked an agreement with HEC Lausanne, the Faculty of Business and Economics of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, with both sides promising to further cooperate on innovation in the future.

On the sidelines of the forum, the delegation of Swiss entrepreneurs was taken to several renowned companies in Hangzhou, such as Hikvision, to experience the innovative strength of their Chinese counterparts.

Though Zhejiang and Switzerland are far apart, they are similar in that they both value ecological protection and innovation.

In recent years, the two regions have seen closer economic and trade ties. Currently, there are 113 companies in Zhejiang funded by Swiss capital with a total contract investment of $870 million, while there are 23 companies in Switzerland established by Zhejiang people, with a total investment value of $380 million.