The China International Industry Fair, which is scheduled to run from Oct 12 to 16 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), is set to create new records in terms of scale, participating companies and visitors this year, said officials and organizers of the event.

In its 26th edition, this year's China International Industry Fair will occupy an exhibition area of 310,000 square meters, and is expected to attract more than 3,000 enterprises and over 250,000 passenger trips of professional visitors, all reaching record highs, according to Li Yuhong, an official of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization.

"The event will consist of a high-level opening ceremony, 10 major themed exhibition areas, 12 key industry forums, and over 100 concurrent events. This year's theme is Smart Economy Boundless Manufacturing," said Li during a news conference held in Shanghai on Monday.

According to Li, this year's fair serves as both a stage for showcasing innovations and a platform for collaboration, with a strong focus on professional, market-oriented and international development.

"Up to now, the exhibition area for foreign and foreign-invested enterprises has increased by 12 percent from that of last year, and the number of overseas professional visitors registered is up 90 percent year-on-year," Li added.

"So far, up to 300 products are set to debut for the first time at this year's fair. Presented in accessible and comparable scenarios, they will demonstrate innovative applications powered by artificial intelligence," said Zhou Jin, vice-president of Donghao Lansheng (Group) Co Ltd.

"Nearly 300 Fortune 500 companies will attend the event, along with up to 800 specialized and innovative enterprises. The 30 percent increase in the number of specialized and innovative enterprises from last year shows that they are becoming a driving force behind intelligent development," Zhou added.

(Source: China Daily)