Hefei World Manufacturing Convention

The 2025 World Manufacturing Conference was successfully held from September 20 to 23 at the Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center. Co-hosted by the People’s Government of Anhui Province, the National Strategic Advisory Committee on Building a Manufacturing Powerhouse, the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, and the Global Alliance of SMEs, the conference was themed “Smart Manufacturing for a Better Future” and represented the most significant annual national-level event in the manufacturing sector.

Exhibition Scale and Number of Exhibitors Reach New Highs. This year’s event featured 10 major exhibition zones along with an interactive zone showcasing achievements in fully autonomous systems, spanning a total area of 30,000 square meters. A total of 398 companies participated, presenting 1,623 exhibits, including 466 world premieres. Exhibits from emerging and future industries accounted for 62% of the total, while 182 cutting-edge “national strategic assets” and technological breakthroughs—representing international leadership—were prominently displayed. Concurrently, a commercial exhibition covering 40,000 square meters attracted 680 enterprises from 19 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, including Hebei, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Guangxi, with over 12,000 exhibits. Both the number of participating companies and exhibits marked record highs for the conference.

International Participation Reaches All-Time High. Slovakia served as the Guest Country of Honor, with State Secretary Vladimir Simonyak of the Slovak Ministry of Economy leading a delegation. A total of 659 international guests from 53 countries and regions attended, setting new records for both the number of participating nations and the overall international presence. Representatives from 162 overseas Fortune 500 firms, multinational corporations, and renowned manufacturing enterprises—including Linde, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and Veolia—also took part. Wang Yong, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, addressed the opening ceremony, while Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, and 53 other leaders from national ministries and directly affiliated agencies were in attendance. Additionally, 367 domestic and international representatives from Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, and prominent manufacturers—including Cao Dewang, Chairman of Fuyao Group; Yang Yuanqing, Chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group; and Li Xiting, Chairman of Mindray Medical—participated in the conference. Twenty-six academicians, including Liu Sheng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Liu Yunjie of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, also attended.

First-Ever “Central Enterprises in Anhui” Event Held. For the first time, the conference hosted the “Central Enterprises in Anhui” initiative, bringing together 39 officials and heads of relevant departments and subsidiaries from 50 central state-owned enterprises, totaling approximately 170 participants. Key executives from four major central enterprises—China Merchants Group, China National Coal Group, CRRC, and China Railway Construction Corporation—delivered remarks at the opening ceremony. During the event, participating central enterprises conducted roundtable discussions, project matchmaking sessions, and industrial promotion activities across eight cities and related provincial enterprises, signing four strategic cooperation agreements and sealing 12 high-quality projects with a combined investment value of RMB 27.5 billion.

Abundant Project Collaboration Outcomes. The conference facilitated a total of 735 collaborative projects, with aggregate investments amounting to RMB 380.2 billion—an increase of 2.4% in the number of projects and 3% in total investment compared to the previous year. Among these, 396 projects were concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta region, accounting for RMB 201 billion in investment, or 53.9% and 52.9%, respectively. Meanwhile, 647 projects focused on ten emerging industries, involving a total investment of RMB 329.6 billion, representing 88.02% and 86.6% of the overall figures. On-site transactions exceeded 1,780 deals, with more than 5,380 preliminary cooperation intentions reached, totaling approximately RMB 1.27 billion in transaction value.

Showcase of Cutting-Edge Technologies Highlights the Latest Innovations. Eighty-two “national strategic assets” and technological breakthroughs were prominently displayed, including the fourth-generation Benyuan Wukong quantum computer, flying cars, a universal platform for intelligent robotics, Visionox’s smart pixelation technology, and Jinshi’s solid-state batteries. BOE showcased a perovskite photovoltaic cottage built with the world’s largest solar panel, while Visionox unveiled the world’s first Pad Bending 0.1 flexible AMOLED technology and the first OLED mobile screen featuring a 260Hz refresh rate. Dongchao Technology presented a media-free aerial imaging teleprompter. Chery Jetour’s G700 and Duwei Health’s Sleep 3.0 system were among 466 products making their global debut, marking a 37% year-over-year increase.

Diverse Side Events Enrich the Conference Experience. The conference featured 35 specialized events, including the opening ceremony and keynote speeches, the National Forum on Building a Manufacturing Powerhouse, the Future Network Industry Development Cooperation Matchmaking Session, and the “AI + Manufacturing” Application Scenario Integration Meeting. It also successfully hosted six international events, such as the 2025 International Chamber of Commerce Conference, the International Cooperation Symposium on Smart Manufacturing, the SME Overseas Expansion and International Supply Chain Collaboration Meeting, the Anhui–Germany SME Cooperation Meeting, the Sino-Japanese Enterprise Cooperation Development Matching Event, and the International Friendship Province/City (City) Initiative. In addition, the conference partnered with the Shanghai Securities News for the first time to organize an industry matchmaking session between Anhui Province and listed companies, pioneering a dual‑conference linkage mechanism between the Manufacturing Conference and the China International Import Expo. Furthermore, it hosted an import expo‑related supply‑demand matchmaking and investment exchange event specifically for foreign enterprises operating in Anhui. At the opening ceremony, the conference released the “Top 500 Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises 2025” ranking, the “Manufacturing Digital Transformation Capability Level (2025)” report, and ten leading “flagship” technologies and products developed within the province, recognized both domestically and internationally.

“Smart Robot Talent Show” Becomes a Popular Check-in Destination. Employing an innovative format combining single-scenario demonstrations, multi‑scene community engagement, dynamic performances, and comprehensive ecosystem showcases, the conference vividly highlighted advanced industrial models, humanoid robots, robotic chemists, intelligent connected vehicles, and smart home technologies. The “Smart Robot Talent Show” drew a cumulative audience of 78,000 visitors. At Luogang Park in Hefei, more than 100 exhibits representing fully autonomous systems—from EHang Intelligent to Zero Gravity—were assembled, offering a glimpse into the future of unmanned technologies.

Exhibitors and Industry Response Highly Enthusiastic. Participating companies generally reported that the fair attracted high‑quality professional buyers, facilitated precise project matchmaking, and fostered a vibrant atmosphere for technical exchange. Attendees noted that the World Manufacturing Convention, as the most influential national‑level event in the global manufacturing sector, has become a strategic platform for companies to showcase their products, connect with customers, gain insights into emerging trends, and expand their markets. The next edition of the World Manufacturing Convention will be held from September 20 to 23, 2026, at the Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center.