Shanghai Launches Human Resources Track for 'Data Element X' Contest

A poster for the Shanghai sub-contest of the 2026 "Data Element X" Contest. [Photo/WeChat account of the Shanghai Human Resources Consulting Association]

The Shanghai sub-contest of the 2026 "Data Element X" Contest has introduced a new Human Resources Track, a new industry track added to this year's competition. The Human Resources Track is designed to leverage the multiplier effect of data in the human resources service sector.

The Shanghai sub-contest features 17 industry-specific tracks, including industrial manufacturing, modern agriculture, financial services, healthcare, and urban operations, as well as tracks for data infrastructure, digital globalization, and open innovation.

I. Competition schedule

The sub-contest runs from May to October 2026 and includes five stages, with specific arrangements subject to notices on the official website:

1. Outreach and registration (May to July): Teams may submit projects via the official website at https://dexc.sh.gov.cn/. The registration deadline is July 15, 2026.

2. Preliminary evaluation (July): Online qualification reviews and offline preliminary assessments will be conducted. Projects will advance to the finals based on ranking and allocation quotas.

3. Finals selection (August): The Shanghai sub-contest finals will be conducted through project roadshows, with evaluations conducted across all tracks to determine first, second, and third prize winners.

4. National competition coaching (August to September): Outstanding winning projects will be recommended for the national finals, with participating teams receiving pre‑competition training and coaching.

5. Awards ceremony: The Shanghai sub‑contest awards ceremony will be held alongside the 2026 Global Data Ecosystem Conference.

人才就业素材-商人拿着放大镜，上面有多种语言的文字，职业经理寻找员工或候选人.jpeg

[Photo/IC]

II. Eligibility

- Enterprises, administrative and public institutions, research institutes, universities, and other entities.

- Collaborative teams formed by industry, academia, research institutions, application entities, and other participants.

- Industry associations and related industry organizations are also encouraged to recommend participating enterprises.

(I) Requirements for participants

- Participating entities must be organizations with independent legal person status, including enterprises, administrative or public institutions, research institutes, universities, and similar entities.

- Collaborative teams formed among entities are permitted, provided one entity is designated as the lead applicant.

- Entities or individuals listed on the Credit China website as judgment defaulters, parties to major tax violation cases, or parties with serious government procurement violations, as well as those with records of major legal violations, are not eligible to participate.

- Each entity may submit multiple teams and projects, but each team may submit only one project. Each team may include no more than five participants, and each participant can represent only one team. No changes to team members are allowed after the registration deadline.

- Teams may register only for the Shanghai sub-contest and may not participate more than once.

- Teams are responsible for the accuracy and authenticity of all submitted information. Any false information will result in disqualification.

- Organizing entities and their branches, subsidiaries, controlled companies, and parent companies are not permitted to participate; otherwise, the results will be invalidated.

- Shanghai government departments at all levels and public institutions may participate in tracks such as emergency management, urban operations, urban-rural construction, and meteorological services, provided the fairness and impartiality of competition evaluation are ensured.

- Teams advancing to the national finals must pass relevant reviews by the organizing committee, including intellectual property verification. Failure to pass the reviews will lead to automatic disqualification.

(II) Requirements for projects

Projects must align with the theme areas of the Shanghai sub-contest Human Resources Track. Each project may apply for only one theme area, which cannot be changed, and may only participate in the Shanghai sub-contest.

Projects must have been implemented in practice and have achieved, or have the potential to generate, positive economic or social benefits. Eligible entries may include, but are not limited to, technologies, products, and solutions with independent intellectual property rights.

The intellectual property rights related to project ideas, products, technologies, and patents must belong to the participating entity. Projects must not infringe upon any other party's patent rights, copyrights, trademark rights, or other intellectual property rights, and must comply with national laws and regulations.

The participating team may determine the project name, provided it complies with the requirements of the track and theme area, reflects the key characteristics of data elements, and conforms to relevant laws and regulations, public order, and good customs.

During the Shanghai sub‑contest and the national finals, teams may continue to iterate and upgrade their projects without changing the project name or core content.

Teams must submit supplementary materials as required during the evaluation period. In principle, submitted materials will not be returned.

(III) Submission requirements for projects

Participating teams must prepare project materials in accordance with the evaluation criteria for the industry track and submit them through the official competition website.

Required materials include, but are not limited to:

1. Project application form, including:

1) Project overview: background, application scenarios, and core advantages.

2) Solution: data element foundation, technical approach, data governance, innovation in mechanisms and models, and security.

3) Application outcomes: difficulties addressed, quality and efficiency improvements, and economic and social benefits.

4) Value creation and implementation model: value for demonstration and promotion, and model sustainability.

5) Intellectual property status: number of patents and software copyrights.

2. Supporting documents, including:

- Basic qualification certificates of the participating entity

- Statement of responsibility for the application

- Financial audit reports

- Credit status

- Basic qualification certificates related to the project

- Proof of application cases

- Intellectual property certificates

- Other relevant materials

Note: All materials must belong to the participating entity. The use of materials from parent companies, branches, subsidiaries, holding companies, or other non‑participating entities is strictly prohibited. Violation will result in disqualification and invalidation of results.

3. Additional materials

These include introductory materials for project evaluation, demonstration videos, and models and explanatory documents for the product solution.

[Photo/IC]

III. Awards and incentives

The Human Resources Track offers first, second, and third prizes in the form of trophies and certificates.

The following incentives will also be available:

- Policy incentives: Winning projects will have the opportunity to be included in Shanghai's "Data Element X" typical case collection, and their organizations may be recommended to apply for relevant projects of the Shanghai Municipal Data Bureau.

- Promotion and exhibition: Winning projects may be showcased, publicized, covered, and promoted through official media channels by the Shanghai sub-contest organizing committee.

- Industry-finance matchmaking: Winning teams will receive support for industry-finance cooperation resources, including channels for connecting with investment and financing institutions.

- Supply-demand matchmaking: Winning teams will have the opportunity to access supply-demand matching channels provided by the Shanghai sub-contest organizing committee.

- Talent support: Winning team members may apply for relevant talent support policies.

- Exchange and learning: Winning teams will have the opportunity to participate in policy briefings and commercialization activities organized by the Shanghai sub-contest organizing committee.

- Recommendation incentives: Industry associations or other industry organizations that make outstanding contributions during the promotion stage of the Shanghai sub-contest will receive incentives based on the number of winning teams they recommend.

IV. Public notice and reporting

The Shanghai sub-contest implements a public notice and reporting system for winning projects.

Winning projects will be publicly listed on the official website for seven days for public oversight and review.

Teams that fail to pass the public notice process will have their award results revoked and prizes withdrawn.

V. Contact

1. Shanghai Human Resources Consulting Association

Name: Sun

Tel: 189-3097-7770 (also available on WeChat)

2. Jing'an District Data Bureau

Name: Wang

Tel: 178-2127-0212

3. Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau