Published by ChinaMNC · Gaize

World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference 2026 in Nanjing: What Foreign Founders Should Know

A practical briefing for foreign founders on the 2026 World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference in Nanjing, including dates, hosts, program structure, and what the event signals for AI-plus-manufacturing opportunities in Jiangsu.

2026 World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference: Key Details for Foreign Founders

Foreign founders evaluating China as a manufacturing or technology base should note a significant industry event scheduled for later this year. According to a news conference held on October 27, the 2026 World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference will take place in Nanjing from November 19 to 21. The event has been approved by China's State Council and is jointly hosted by the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government and the International Intelligent Manufacturing Alliance.

For overseas entrepreneurs, the conference is more than a showcase. It offers a window into how Jiangsu — one of China's most industrialized provinces — is connecting artificial intelligence with factory operations, and where foreign companies may find partners, customers, or pilot opportunities.

What the Conference Program Includes

Gui Jun, deputy secretary-general of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, outlined the structure at the news conference. The program is organized around multiple layers rather than a single track:

• One theme conference as the central event.
• More than 10 specialized activities covering specific topics.
• Nearly 30 industrial ecosystem conferences held alongside the main program.

Together these form a multi-level system that combines high-end forums, results announcements, frontier exhibitions, and industry matchmaking. For a foreign founder, the ecosystem conferences may be the most practical entry point, since they are typically where suppliers, service providers, and manufacturers meet in smaller settings.

Results and Technologies to Be Presented

The conference will release several outputs that could be useful for market intelligence:

• Results from the construction of leading-tier smart factories (领航级智能工厂).
• The 2026 top ten global and Chinese intelligent manufacturing science and technology advances.
• A series of research reports from the National Intelligent Manufacturing Expert Committee.

In addition, the event will display leading-tier and excellence-tier smart factories alongside innovations such as industrial datasets, large-model algorithms, and industrial world model generators. According to the source, these exhibits are intended to show next-generation intelligent manufacturing moving from theoretical exploration into practical implementation.

Foreign founders should treat these announcements as signals of where Chinese industrial policy and investment attention are directed, rather than as procurement guidance in themselves.

Jiangsu's Base of Industrial Scenarios

The conference is grounded in Jiangsu's existing industrial base. The source cites several figures that explain why the province is positioned as a testbed for AI-plus-manufacturing:

• 28,000 enterprises have opened industrial scenarios.
• 27 national artificial intelligence typical cases have been recognized.
• Transformation diagnosis services have reached more than 19,000 enterprises.

These numbers matter to foreign founders because they indicate a large pool of manufacturers that have already begun digital transformation and may be receptive to external technology partners. A foreign company with solutions in smart factory upgrades, industrial software, or domain-specific AI models could find relevant counterparts here.

Topics on the Agenda

The conference will bring together academicians, experts, and industry leaders for in-depth exchanges. The stated themes include:

• Iterative upgrading of smart factories.
• Technical breakthroughs in key equipment.
• Deployment of domain-specific large models.
• Capacity building for service providers.

The source says the discussions will directly address the real pain points enterprises face in digital transformation and will distill technical solutions and implementation models that can be replicated and promoted. The stated aim is to provide a reference for the national "AI plus manufacturing" initiative.

For foreign founders, this suggests the conference is oriented toward practical implementation models rather than purely academic exchange. Companies with deployable solutions may find the sessions on service-provider capacity and domain models particularly relevant.

International Participation

The conference will include a dedicated international guest exhibition area. According to the source, this area is designed to attract overseas enterprises from countries including Germany and Switzerland to exhibit in a concentrated way, strengthening the physical载体 — the concrete platform — for international exchange and cooperation.

This is a direct opportunity for foreign founders. Exhibiting or attending as an international participant can provide visibility with Chinese manufacturers and service providers, and can serve as an initial step before establishing a local entity or joint venture.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

Based on the source, founders should consider the following:

• Dates and location: November 19–21, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.
• Hosts: Jiangsu Provincial People's Government and the International Intelligent Manufacturing Alliance, with State Council approval.
• Format: One theme conference, more than 10 specialized activities, and nearly 30 ecosystem conferences.
• Focus areas: Smart factory upgrades, key equipment technology, domain-specific large models, and service-provider development.
• International angle: A dedicated exhibition area for overseas firms, including German and Swiss companies.

Founders planning to register or operate a company in China should note that the source does not describe any specific registration, visa, or investment procedures connected to the conference. Attendance and exhibition participation should be verified directly with the organizers. The event is best understood as a market-entry and partnership-building opportunity rather than a regulatory channel.

Jiangsu's scale — 28,000 enterprises with open industrial scenarios and transformation services reaching over 19,000 enterprises — suggests that foreign technology providers may find a relatively mature buyer base. However, any commercial engagement should follow standard due diligence and local professional advice.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.