Hosted by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the 12th China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair was held from June 11 to 13 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center.

The number of intended deals surpassed 600 for the first time in the fair’s history. The event recorded more than 54,000 visits, with professional visitors accounting for over 85 percent of attendees. Supporting activities attracted 9,730 participants.

This year's CSITF also introduced a dual guest-city-of-honor mechanism, featuring both domestic and overseas guest cities. The overseas guest cities of honor were Lausanne, Switzerland, and five Scottish cities: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Stirling, and Inverness.

Lausanne brought 18 research institutions and enterprises to the fair, reaching 12 cooperation intentions. The Scottish cities showcased innovations from 24 organizations in smart healthcare, smart energy, and educational technology, resulting in 32 cooperation intentions.

The domestic guest cities of honor were Dalian in Liaoning province and Nanjing in Jiangsu province. Dalian presented 24 high-tech enterprises showcasing innovations in shipbuilding, offshore engineering, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy. Nanjing brought together 12 companies to demonstrate cutting-edge technologies and applications in optoelectronics, intelligent equipment, and ultrasonic motors.

A new international exhibition area was established this year, bringing together 26 overseas trade and investment promotion agencies, business associations, and chambers of commerce, which together secured 102 cooperation intentions with domestic enterprises.

Nine business matchmaking areas were set up on site, hosting 116 one-on-one matchmaking sessions that resulted in potential deals worth 236 million yuan ($34.85 million).

Nearly 200 technology managers participated in the event, connecting with and providing services to more than 800 companies.

In the area of investment and incubation, the CSITF Tech-Transfer Center unveiled a directory of Shanghai's proof-of-concept service platforms and introduced the "AI Technology Manager" domain-specific large model. The center also released 3,512 domestic and international innovation outcomes and 605 enterprise innovation needs, reaching intended deals worth nearly 1.7 billion yuan.

With a particular focus on the integration of technology and consumption, this year's fair partnered with eight commercial complexes and eight hotels in the World Expo and New Bund commercial districts to amplify the spillover effects of the ticket-stub economy, attracting more than 340,000 consumer visits.

Source: Jiefang Daily