2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference | First Release of "2025 Global Engineering Frontiers" and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Collaborative Innovation "Roadmap" to Be Unveiled

(Source: Beijing Business Today)

Deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation is a key path to cultivating new productive forces and promoting high-quality development. On March 18, at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, Lin Xin, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, and Jin Wei, Member of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor, introduced the preparations for the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference (hereinafter referred to as “the Forum”). The event will be held in Beijing from March 25 to 29, and will debut the “2025 Global Engineering Frontiers” report for the first time. Policies and measures for collaborative innovation among Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei will also be unveiled at the opening ceremony, with multiple thematic forums on cutting-edge fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and cell and gene therapy.

Major Release of Basic Research Achievements

Approved by the State Council, the Forum will take place in Beijing from March 25 to 29. Beijing is currently making every effort to prepare for the event, with all arrangements in place.

At the press conference, Lin Xin explained that the Forum will feature five main sections: forums, achievement releases, technology transactions, frontier competitions, and supporting activities, totaling over 100 events. Multiple thematic forums will be held to implement the International Open Science Initiative, including the release of the “International Cooperation Action Plan for Open Science.” In 2026, the first National Natural Science Foundation Academic Forum will be held, focusing on bionic intelligence, the integration of power and computing, high-speed magnetic levitation transportation technology, and other frontier areas. The forum aims to explore major scientific questions and promote precise alignment between basic scientific research and social-economic development. Other forums on marine science and development, fusion energy, lunar and planetary space utilization, and universal Earth intelligence will share cutting-edge scientific achievements, address major scientific issues, and attract scientists worldwide to focus on global scientific challenges.

“Significantly, we will debut the ‘2025 Global Engineering Frontiers’ and the ‘International Cooperation Action Plan for Open Science,’ along with the announcement of the ‘Top 10 Scientific Advances in China for 2025,’” Jin Wei said. “The ‘Top 10 Scientific Advances in China’ represent the latest breakthroughs in our basic research, which have always attracted international attention. The 2026 list includes advances in new energy, healthcare, and other fields, representing both the forefront of international science and technology and matters that affect all of us.”

Basic research is the source of technological innovation and the master switch for all technical issues. As an international science and technology innovation hub, Beijing has recently focused on leading basic research initiatives, channeling more resources into original innovations from zero to one.

For example, in terms of systematic innovation platform deployment, Jin Wei stated, “We are fully supporting the high-quality operation of national laboratories, having established 145 key laboratories nationwide. In frontier fields such as life sciences, next-generation information technology, and applied mathematics, we have built 10 world-class new R&D institutions. The Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center has developed 37 scientific facilities platforms, with 29 already operational, sharing 1.77 million hours globally, and producing 439 major scientific and technological achievements.”

Beijing also emphasizes cultivating young scientific and technological talent. Jin Wei noted that Beijing encourages young scientists to take leading roles, with over 80% of youth under 45 receiving support from the city’s natural science fund projects. A dedicated fund for basic research talent has been established, exploring mechanisms for rolling support for young researchers to motivate them to focus on scientific research. Efforts to develop reserve forces in basic research include the “Qiyan” undergraduate program, which has supported over 10 pilot universities and more than 1,000 undergraduates engaged in basic research.

Expansion of Collaborative Innovation in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei

The Zhongguancun Forum is an important platform supporting the construction of an international science and technology innovation center. The 2025 Central Economic Work Conference proposed expanding the Beijing international science and technology innovation center to include Tianjin and Hebei.

When asked by reporters, Lin Xin pointed out that this deployment is a major strategic decision made by the Party Central Committee, focusing on building a strong country through science and technology. It marks a new stage of regional collaborative development in constructing the international sci-tech innovation center. The goal is to enhance the source of innovation, lead high-end industries, and attract top talent through spatial expansion, coordinated efforts, resource integration, and policy synergy.

The three regions have already seen results from collaborative innovation. Jin Wei introduced, “During the 14th Five-Year Plan, Beijing’s technology contract transaction volume with Tianjin and Hebei exceeded 320 billion yuan, a 1.7-fold increase over the 13th Five-Year Plan.” They jointly established a special fund for natural science cooperation, supporting 270 projects, facilitating over 700 research team collaborations, and incubating 179 high-tech companies. Along the new productivity corridors of Beijing-Tianjin and Beijing-Xiong’an, four Zhongguancun parks have been built in Binhai New Area and Xiong’an New Area, with over 9,800 companies settled. The Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong’an has been operational for over two years, expanding its area sixfold to 140,000 square meters, attracting 260 tech companies.

Industrial cooperation has become more focused. Jin Wei stated that the three regions have mapped out six key industrial chains, including hydrogen energy and biomedicine, and are jointly developing seven national-level advanced manufacturing clusters such as integrated circuits and artificial intelligence. By 2025, the output of new energy vehicles in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei is expected to reach 1.084 million units, with an annual growth rate exceeding 60% during the 14th Five-Year Plan, and the “one-hour auto parts supporting circle” is accelerating formation.

He further announced that policies related to the Beijing (Tianjin-Hebei) International Science and Technology Innovation Center will be released at the Forum’s opening ceremony, serving as a “blueprint” for deep integration of science, technology, and industry among the three regions.

AI Translators in 8 Languages Deployed

The annual Forum is often a hub for the implementation of cutting-edge technologies.

“This year’s Forum will give everyone a real experience of how AI evolution empowers various industries. For example, the AI ‘Translator’ will be on duty throughout, expanding language support from Chinese and English to include French, Russian, Spanish, and others, enabling seamless communication among guests from all over the world. Robot cafes will also open to serve guests; from just making coffee last year, now they can work together to prepare meal sets, and robot bands will perform exciting shows,” Jin Wei explained.

Behind these scenes, the Forum demonstrates a deep focus on industrializing frontier technologies.

Lin Xin stated that highlighting the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation is one of the key features of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum. Multiple thematic forums will be held on frontier fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and cell and gene therapies, to explore technological innovation and industrial applications. Frontier technology competitions and technology trading conferences will also be organized to facilitate the transformation of scientific achievements.

She also emphasized that this year’s Forum will place greater emphasis on cultivating new productive forces. Focusing on embodied intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, high-end instruments, and other key areas, it will showcase major innovative achievements and promote the conversion of scientific results into new productive forces. For example, the “AI + Industry” forum will focus on autonomous driving and industry-specific large models, gathering top scholars and leading enterprises to discuss how AI can empower the real economy. The “Discovery and Invention” forum will focus on industrial technological issues, exploring demand-driven R&D models, and building platforms for deep integration of technological and industrial innovation.

Beijing Business Today Reporter Wei Wei