Flags Line Streets Near ZGC International Innovation Center for 2026 ZGC Forum Annual Conference. (Photo by Wang Haixin)

The 2026 ZGC Forum Annual Conference is scheduled to take place in Beijing from March 25 to 29. What are the key highlights of this year's event? The State Council Information Office held a press conference on March 18 to provide details.

Structured into Five Sections, Featuring Over 100 Activities

Lin Xin, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, introduced that the 2026 ZGC Forum Annual Conference is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the China Association for Science and Technology, and the Beijing Municipal People's Government. With the annual theme "Deep Integration of Technology and Industry Innovation," the conference is structured into five sections: Meetings, Achievements Release, Technology Trading, Frontier Competition, and Supporting Events. It will encompass over 100 activities, with an expected participation of over a thousand guests from more than 100 countries and regions.

Lin Xin revealed that, overall, this year's conference features four characteristics:

First, highlighting the expanded efforts in building an International Science and Technology Innovation Center. Focusing on the development of the Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) International Science and Technology Innovation Center, the three regions of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei will jointly host forums such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Collaborative Innovation and High-Quality Development Forum and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Technology Trading Achievements Matchmaking Meeting. They will release relevant policies for deepening cooperation, jointly advance innovation synergy and industrial collaboration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and foster deeper cooperation across "six key industrial chains and five industrial clusters."

Second, highlighting the deep integration of technology and industry innovation. Focusing on frontier fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and cell and gene therapy, multiple thematic forums will be held to delve into technological innovation and industrial applications in these areas. Events like the Frontier Technology Competition and the Technology Trading Conference will provide matchmaking platforms for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

Third, highlighting the integrated advancement of education, technology, and talent. Renowned domestic and international universities, research institutions, and leading enterprises will be invited for in-depth participation. The conference will bring together innovative groups like outstanding engineers and young scientific talents to discuss talent cultivation models oriented towards technological development and strategic needs, thereby stimulating the vitality of innovative talents.

Fourth, highlighting high-level openness and cooperation in science and technology. In implementing bilateral and multilateral international cooperation framework agreements, multiple thematic forums and events will be held. The conference will also implement the International Initiative on Open Science and release the "Action Plan for International Cooperation in Open Science."

"We sincerely look forward to meeting friends from all sectors in Beijing, sharing innovative ideas, deepening scientific and technological exchanges, and jointly creating a global event for scientific and technological exchange and cooperation characterized by openness, cooperation, and mutual benefit," Lin Xin stated.

Experience Firsthand How AI Empowers Numerous Industries

靳伟 (Jin Wei), Member of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and Vice Mayor of Beijing, stated at the press conference that Beijing is currently making every effort to prepare for the ZGC Forum Annual Conference. Currently, all preparatory work is in place.

Jin Wei highlighted two additional features of this year's Forum Annual Conference:

First, deepening Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei collaborative innovation. The policies and measures for the Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) International Science and Technology Innovation Center, to be released at the opening ceremony, serve as a "blueprint" for the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation in the three regions over the future, and we will work together to implement them. At this year's conference, we will jointly host multiple events, release a batch of achievements, facilitate a number of cooperation agreements, build several innovation consortia, and jointly promote deeper and more tangible progress in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development.

Second, promoting the extensive application of artificial intelligence. At last year's forum site, the "extremely high concentration" of robots gave everyone a profound sense of the technological allure of Beijing as the "foremost AI city." At this year's Forum Annual Conference, everyone will truly experience how the evolution of AI empowers thousands of industries.

Jin Wei gave examples, such as the AI "interpreters" being on duty throughout the event, with language services expanding from Chinese and English to eight languages including French, Russian, and Spanish, ensuring smooth communication for guests from all over. A robot cafeteria will also be open for business. While last year, only single machines could make coffee, this year they can collaborate to create set meals. Additionally, a robot band will also deliver wonderful performances for the attendees.

Building a More Globally Competitive Open Innovation Ecosystem

The international "circle of friends" of the ZGC Forum continues to expand, with numerous international science and technology organizations, world-renowned scientists, and entrepreneurs participating deeply.

In response to relevant questions, Jin Wei pointed out that the proportion of foreign guests, international institutions, international organizations, and multinational enterprises participating in the forum is increasing. Strengthening international scientific and technological exchange and cooperation, and pooling global innovation resources and elements, is inherent to building the Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) International Science and Technology Innovation Center. Beijing is striving to create a more globally competitive open innovation ecosystem.

Regarding the continuous enrichment of international exchanges and cooperation, the International Congress of Basic Science held annually in Beijing is gradually becoming a premier event for top global scholars to discuss the future of science. Concerning the deep promotion of global industrial synergy, the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in Beijing increased by 20% in 2025, and the total number of foreign-funded R&D centers has reached 332. In terms of actively participating in global innovation governance, Beijing continues to accelerate the development of world-class scientific journals. In the past three years, Beijing has added over 60 new English-language scientific journals, with ten journals, including "Computational Visual Media," ranking first globally in comprehensive impact evaluation within their fields. International science and technology organizations are increasingly clustering and developing in Beijing. Four new international science and technology organizations were added last year, bringing the total in Beijing to 53. The Chaoyang District has also established the country's first cluster area for headquarters of international science and technology organizations.

"Beijing is a fertile ground for technological innovation, and the ZGC Forum is a national platform dedicated to global scientific and technological innovation exchange and cooperation. We will use openness to drive reform and reform to spur development, achieving international exchanges and cooperation on a larger scale, in broader fields, and at deeper levels," Jin Wei said.