International Participation and Industrial Cooperation at CIIF 2026

The China International Industry Fair (CIIF) brought manufacturing technologies into contact with industrial development priorities across borders. At our 26th edition, held from 12 to 16 October 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), exhibitors, professional visitors and visiting delegations approached the fair with different interests in technology and cooperation.

In 2026, we welcomed 3,247 exhibitors from 24 countries and regions, including both domestic and international participants. This geographical reach provides context for the different forms of industry exchange at the fair.

The UAE delegation offers a concrete example. Its announced programme connected exhibition tours with company meetings and factory visits, linking an interest in robotics and smart manufacturing with technology transfer and investment opportunities. This provides a closer view of how an industrial fair can support the early stages of international cooperation.

Different roles in international industry exchange

Exhibitors, professional visitors and delegations contribute to industry exchange in different ways. Exhibitors present technologies and explain their applications. Professional visitors can assess those capabilities against their own production needs. A delegation may also bring a wider agenda, connecting individual technologies with industrial development and investment priorities.

For a manufacturer, these roles can overlap. A company exploring automation may be evaluating equipment while also looking for a technical partner. A visiting institution may be interested in both manufacturing capabilities and opportunities to attract industrial investment. Recognising these different interests helps explain why international participation involves more than the geographical reach of an exhibition.

The UAE delegation brought an industrial cooperation agenda

According to the 12 October WAM report, the UAE delegation was led by Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT). Its stated aims included strengthening industrial and technology cooperation with China, exploring investment opportunities and developing advanced-manufacturing partnerships.

Representatives included MoIAT, Emirates Development Bank, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, EDGE Group, Emirates Global Aluminium and Aldar. This brought a ministry, industrial businesses and organisations concerned with finance, investment and economic development into the same delegation.

The composition helps explain the breadth of the agenda. An industrial partnership can require technical capability, a suitable operating location and investment. Bringing these perspectives together can help participants consider how a manufacturing opportunity might develop beyond an initial technology discussion.

Connecting exhibition displays with manufacturing applications

The delegation’s announced programme included tours of exhibition pavilions, meetings with leading Chinese companies and visits to factories specialising in robotics, automation and smart manufacturing. These activities were intended to explore technology transfer and industrial partnerships while presenting investment opportunities in the UAE.

The combination offers a useful way to think about industrial exchange. An exhibition display introduces a capability; a company discussion can explore its relevance to a particular application; and a factory visit can provide context for understanding production requirements. Each setting supports a different level of technical enquiry.

For a manufacturer considering robotics, useful questions might include whether a handling or assembly task can be automated and how the system would work with existing equipment, controls and operators. Starting with those practical requirements can give technology providers and potential partners a clearer basis for discussion.

Technology transfer and investment as shared interests

The UAE agenda also linked interest in Chinese manufacturing technologies with the promotion of investment opportunities in the UAE. This gave the exchange two directions: exploring capabilities in China and presenting opportunities for international industrial companies in the UAE.

For manufacturers considering cooperation across borders, the distinction matters. Evaluating a technology, choosing a partner and considering an investment are related decisions, but each requires its own information. An initial conversation becomes easier to develop when participants can identify the application, the expertise needed and the organisations that should be involved next.

The WAM account documented the delegation’s participation and announced priorities. It did not report signed agreements or confirm completion of every planned visit. Its value is in showing the industrial interests behind the delegation’s presence at CIIF 2026.

What international manufacturers can take from the exchange

The UAE example suggests a practical approach to international industry exchange: connect a technology interest with a specific cooperation question. For a production team, that question may concern integration. For an industrial business, it may concern a partner’s capabilities. For an investment organisation, it may concern the requirements of a potential manufacturing project.

CIIF provided a meeting point for these perspectives in Shanghai. The delegation’s agenda illustrates how exhibition participation can connect technical discovery with wider industrial aims, giving manufacturers and institutions a basis for further discussion about applications, partnerships and investment.

Frequently asked questions

Who took part in international industry exchange at CIIF 2026?

International participation included exhibitors presenting technologies, professional visitors assessing manufacturing applications and visiting delegations exploring industrial cooperation. These groups brought different technical, business and investment interests to the fair.

What did the UAE delegation seek at CIIF 2026?

Its stated priorities were industrial and technology cooperation with China, advanced-manufacturing partnerships, technology transfer and investment opportunities. The announced programme combined exhibition tours, company meetings and factory visits focused on robotics, automation and smart manufacturing.

Which organisations joined the UAE delegation?

The delegation was led by MoIAT Undersecretary Hasan Jasem Al Nowais. Participants included representatives from MoIAT, Emirates Development Bank, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, EDGE Group, Emirates Global Aluminium and Aldar. The group combined government, industrial, finance and investment perspectives.

Which technologies featured in the UAE visit programme?

Robotics, automation and smart manufacturing were the stated focus of the planned factory visits. These areas connected the delegation’s interest in advanced manufacturing with practical questions about production applications and potential technology partnerships.

How did the UAE agenda connect technology exchange with investment?

The agenda combined exploration of Chinese manufacturing capabilities with the promotion of investment opportunities in the UAE to international industrial companies. It linked interest in technology transfer and industrial partnerships with potential locations for manufacturing investment. These were stated areas for exploration, rather than announced investment outcomes.

What is CIIF’s role in international industrial cooperation?

The China International Industry Fair (CIIF) brings exhibitors, professional visitors and visiting delegations together in Shanghai to explore manufacturing technologies and potential cooperation. At CIIF 2026, the UAE delegation’s announced agenda connected exhibition tours, company meetings and planned factory visits with interests in technology transfer, industrial partnerships and investment.

When and where is CIIF 2027 scheduled to take place?

CIIF 2027 is scheduled for September 20–24, 2027, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), China. This is the announced schedule for the next edition; the participation figures and delegation activities discussed above relate to CIIF 2026.