As technological and industrial innovation accelerate toward integration, what will our near future actually look like? The 2026 Zhongguancun (ZGC) Forum Annual Conference offers a vivid answer. From cutting-edge technologies to technology commercialization, from ecosystem building to international cooperation, intellectual property (IP), serving as a bridge between innovation and the market, shines throughout this global gathering. Join us for an "IP Walk" packed with a tech vibe!
Exploring cutting-edge technologies
"How can I help you?" At the entrance of the ZGC International Innovation Center, two bionic humanoid robots from Noetix, acting as "welcoming ambassadors," drew crowds of both Chinese and international visitors. According to on-site staff, each robot's face is fitted with 32 motors, enabling a wide range of expressions. Combined with self-developed multimodal emotional interaction and emotion-recognition large models, they delivered intelligent reception with lifelike emotional responses.
Across the venue, advanced technologies powered by IP were on full display. For example, embodied robots were capable of threading a needle and performing music, and AR glasses equipped with AI systems could enable real-time translation in 54 languages. In addition, a series of major achievements were unveiled during the annual conference, including the top 10 scientific advances of 2025 in China across fields such as earth sciences and materials, as well as 21 landmark scientific and technological achievements aligned with strategic priorities, including global scientific frontiers, major national needs, and public health. As a window connecting the world, the ZGC Forum has offered immersive and interactive experiences for global participants, painting a vivid picture of future life.
Browsing a global technology marketplace
How can advanced technologies secure strong market value and achieve global trading—"Buy Globally, Sell Globally"? A key highlight of this year's forum, the ZGC International Technology Trade Fair, has created a global marketplace for technological achievements through "orange" and "blue" models. The orange-themed Achievement Store integrated offline interactive exhibitions with online livestream promotion. It provided a debut stage for innovative products, bridging the journey from laboratories to the marketplace. The "blue" model represented a "Blue Vest" team of 100 professional technology managers drawn from universities, research institutes, science parks, IP service institutions and other organizations. They offered full-cycle support for technology transfer, helping innovations reach global markets.
Romashchenko Mariia, a representative of Foundation for the Russky Innovation Science and Technology Center, was deeply impressed by China's strong emphasis on technology transfer and commercialization. "We are looking for companies from China and different countries all over the world to make collaboration in biotechnology and other technological fields, which can be very important for Russia, China and other countries all over the world," she said. According to Mariia, two Chinese companies have already settled in the center and plan to enter the Russian market.
Strengthening global IP ecosystem
Promoting alignment of IP rules in frontier fields and strengthening international IP talent development were among the key topics discussed at the Global Forum on Intellectual Property Protection and Innovation, a sub-forum of the 2026 ZGC Forum Annual Conference. More than 200 international representatives gathered to explore how IP can drive the integration of technological and industrial innovation.
"China is leveraging IP to effectively connect the innovation chain, industrial chain, and capital chain, accelerating the transition of innovations from laboratories to industrial applications, " said Ma Yide, Dean of the School of Intellectual Property at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, he suggested that China's key task in using IP to support the development of strategic emerging and future industries is to shift from reactive protection to forward-looking planning and systematic development. On the one hand, it is essential to accelerate the establishment of foundational institutional frameworks suited to emerging technologies. On the other hand, efforts should focus on strengthening strategic IP deployment in key industries—for example, by cultivating high-value patents in critical fields such as integrated circuits and artificial intelligence, promoting synergy between standards and patents, and enhancing China's voice in shaping global technology rules.
Building international consensus
At this year's forum, the Action Plan for International Cooperation in Open Science was officially released. China will open ten major scientific research infrastructures to the global community, including the Chinese Meridian Project (CMP) and the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory, contributing to global scientific advancement. The CMP, in particular, has established a ground-based space environment monitoring network with the widest coverage, the most diverse detection methods, and the strongest overall capabilities in the world, serving 267 institutions across 18 countries, including Brazil and Germany.
Openness and win-win cooperation emerged as recurring keywords in feedback from international participants. "I enjoy the openness and the friendship I can feel here. I can see that China is very ahead in a lot of technological fields and I think the speed of the development here in China is very high," said Christian Sommer, Managing Director of NEXT MANNHEIM in Germany.
Science and technology responds to the call of the times and has a global impact, and open cooperation is the right path forward. Over the years, the ZGC Forum has evolved into not only a gathering for world-class innovations, but also a flagship platform for global science and technology exchange.