Journalists take photos of humanoid robots at Zhongguancun International Innovation Center, venue for the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum), in Beijing, capital of China, March 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

The 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum), which focuses on the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial development, will take place from March 25 to 29 in Beijing, an official from China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) said on Wednesday.

This year's forum will feature more than 100 events and is expected to draw thousands of participants from more than 100 countries and regions, Lin Xin, vice minister of science and technology, said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office to introduce the upcoming event.

Four key aspects will stand out at this year's forum. They will place a strong emphasis on expanding the development of international science and technology innovation centers, including advancing coordinated innovation and industrial collaboration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

At the same time, the annual forum will focus on fostering deeper integration between technological and industrial innovation. A series of specialized forums will be held on frontier fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and cell and gene therapy, exploring both scientific breakthroughs and industrial applications, according to Lin.

Promoting the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent will also be a major theme, with leading universities, research institutes, and industry players from China and abroad invited to take part in discussions, the official said.

In addition, in line with China's broader efforts to expand opening-up, the forum will highlight high-level international cooperation in science and technology, with multiple themed events to advance bilateral and multilateral collaboration frameworks.

The 2026 forum is jointly organized by several Chinese government agencies, including the MOST, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Founded in 2007, this forum in Beijing has evolved into a global, comprehensive, open and high-level international event for enhancing global innovation in science and technology, said the report. "Full integration of technological and industrial innovation" is set to be the theme of this year's event.
 
At the forum this year, participants will get a firsthand sense of how the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is empowering a wide range of industries. For example, AI "interpreters" will be on duty throughout the event, expanding their services from just Chinese and English last year to eight languages, including French, Russian, and Spanish, said Jin Wei, vice mayor of Beijing, at Wednesday's press conference.

The robot cafe will also be open to visitors. While robots could only make coffee individually last year, they will now be able to work together to prepare full meals. A robot band will also deliver live performances, said Jin.

The ZGC Forum sets itself apart from typical tech conferences by emphasizing the integration of technological innovation with industrial development, exploring growth paths through the lens of real-world applications and business practice, a focus that is expected to continue this year, according to Ma Jihua, a veteran industry analyst who has closely followed the event.

Ma said that forum agenda this year is aligned with the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), featuring in-depth discussions on emerging industries and key strategic priorities. 

More importantly, both large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises can use this platform to better understand trends in technology and industry, helping to stabilize expectations and strengthen confidence, an especially important benefit in today's environment.