The 15th Smart City and Intelligent Economy Expo (hereinafter referred to as the Smart Expo) will be held in Ningbo from September 5 to 7, 2025.

Jointly hosted by the People’s Government of Ningbo, the Department of Economy and Information Technology of Zhejiang Province, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, the China Electronic Information Industry Federation, as well as China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom, this year’s Smart Expo will be themed “AI Empowerment: Embracing the Digital-Intelligent Future.” It will focus on the “AI+” strategic initiative and feature a total exhibition area of 35,000 square meters. The event will include a series of themed exhibition halls such as AI Navigation, AI+ Manufacturing, Digital-Intelligent Scenarios, Digital-Intelligent Ecosystem, and Digital-Intelligent Energy, showcasing the latest technological products and application practices in the fields of artificial intelligence and data-real integration. The Expo aims to accelerate the comprehensive digital-intelligent transformation of the economy and society through next-generation AI technologies.

Visitors to the 15th Smart Expo will be immersed in a world full of future possibilities:

• In the AI Navigation Hall, leading companies like Huawei and Alibaba will unveil their latest general-purpose large models, industry-specific vertical models, and flagship products from three embodied intelligence sectors: humanoid robots, intelligent connected vehicles, and smart homes. These offerings will span from foundational computing infrastructure to end-user systems and cover a wide range of industries.

• The AI+ Manufacturing Hall will bring together numerous service providers specialising in digital transformation for the manufacturing sector. It will spotlight AI-powered full-process solutions for R&D, production, marketing, and operations. A dedicated “Provincial Manufacturing Digital Transformation” exhibition area will highlight Zhejiang's approach to digitalising small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), featuring national-level pilot cities for SME digital transformation.

• The Digital-Intelligent Scenario Hall will offer immersive demonstrations of “AI+” and “Data Element ×” applications in urban governance, as well as in finance, education, accessibility and disability support, and other public service domains.

• The Digital-Intelligent Ecosystem Hall will gather industry associations, industrial parks, and investment institutions from advanced cities across China, forming an “AI Innovation Ecosystem Marketplace” that integrates talent, scenarios, capital, and data.

• The newly established Digital-Intelligent Energy Hall will explore coordinated development pathways between digital intelligence and green sustainability.

• The AI+ Magnetic-Optical-Electronic Industry Chain Ecosystem Hall will showcase Ningbo's distinctive strengths in the “Five Fundamental Industries”, presenting a regional model for how AI can deeply empower and upgrade the magnetic-optical-electronic industry chain.

In addition, the 15th Smart Expo will host a series of accompanying activities such as high-level dialogues, industry matchmaking, venture capital sessions, new product launches, and talent exchanges. These events aim to attract professionals from across the industry and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the AI sector, further accelerating knowledge exchange, scenario-based application matchmaking, innovation incubation, and equitable sharing of development outcomes in the fields of digital economy and artificial intelligence.

Source: Yongpai

Reporter: Le Xiaoli

Editor: Ye Ke