Hefei, China – September 21, 2026 -- The 2026 World Manufacturing Convention opened in Hefei, Anhui province, on September 20 under the theme "Intelligent Manufacturing for a Better Future," marking the eighth consecutive year the province has hosted the event.
Convention Draws Over 1,000 Guests as UK Serves as Guest Country of Honor
British Ambassador to China Peter Wilson delivered remarks as the UK's designated guest country of honor, while Solange Amicha, representing Côte d'Ivoire's Cabinet Minister of the Presidency, read a congratulatory letter from the Ivorian president. The convention attracted more than 1,000 guests, including over 500 overseas representatives and more than 40 overseas companies, spread across a 70,000-square-meter venue that features an unmanned-systems showcase at Luogang Park alongside China-Europe, China-France and China-UK industrial matchmaking sessions.
Anhui Secures 946 Projects Worth Over 400 Billion Yuan Ahead of 2026 Event
Preparations for this year's convention identified 946 cooperation projects involving more than 400 billion yuan, concentrated mostly in ten emerging industries. That builds on last year's edition, which closed with 735 projects worth 380.2 billion yuan in investment. The event continues to engage state-owned, private, foreign-funded, Hong Kong and Macao, Taiwan-funded and overseas Chinese enterprises.
Industrial Profits Surge 63.5% as Value-Added Growth Hits 58-Month High
Anhui's industrial enterprises above designated size posted revenue that has crossed two trillion-yuan thresholds, while the province's manufacturing quality development index climbed from seventh to fifth nationwide. From January to July 2026, value added of these enterprises grew 12.7 percent year on year, the fastest pace in 58 months. Industrial profits rose 63.5 percent to 195.9 billion yuan, contributing 58.3 percent of the province's GDP growth over the period.
Strategic emerging industries recorded 17.3 percent output value growth in the first seven months, accounting for 46.1 percent of total industrial output. New energy vehicle output rose 27.5 percent, integrated circuits climbed 28.6 percent, and robot output increased 32.8 percent year on year.
Province Expands Lighthouse Factory Network to Eight Sites
Some 17,000 industrial enterprises in Anhui have completed intelligent and digital transformation, supporting a network that now includes eight "lighthouse factories" and 1,907 first-set major technical equipment, first-batch new materials and first-version software products. The province plans to further develop intelligent connected vehicles, integrated circuits and robotics, while cultivating quantum technology, biomanufacturing and hydrogen energy, alongside building advanced manufacturing clusters valued in the trillions of yuan.