The WAIE 2026 (7th) Global Digital & AI Expo for Smart Industry (referred to as WAIE 2026 Smart Industry Expo) is scheduled to take place from July 29th to 31st, 2026, at the Shenzhen Futian Convention and Exhibition Center.

As a major, professional, and influential annual event for the global digital economy, this year's expo is hosted by OFweek V-Kenet. The theme is "Focusing on New Quality Productive Forces: Digital Intelligence Empowering a New Future for Industry." The event creates a professional service platform that integrates technical exchange, product showcase, transactional deals, high-end forums, and investment attraction for the worldwide push toward industrial digitalization and intelligence.

The 3-day exhibition will span 30,000 square meters and is projected to attract over 500 leading companies in the smart industry sector and 50,000 professional attendees from across the globe.

The organizer has meticulously planned nine thematic zones to segment the exhibition:Advanced Electronics Manufacturing,Machine Vision and Smart Sensing,Artificial Intelligence Innovation & Applications,Advanced Laser and Industrial Photonics,Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing,Industrial Internet and Industrial Software,Industrial New Energy,Smart Automotive Manufacturing,Industrial New Materials Innovation.

The showcased content will cover cutting-edge products and core technological advancements in areas critical to the smart industry, including electronic and semiconductor manufacturing, AI, industrial photovolatics/energy storage, and industrial new materials.

Furthermore, the expo will feature nearly twenty concurrent industry forums and summits focused on digital applications, alongside awards ceremonies, project roadshows, and press conferences. These events will comprise over 100 specialized presentations and host 100 renowned experts, academics, and industry leaders. This comprehensive program is designed to efficiently integrate upstream and downstream resources, foster the development of cutting-edge digital technologies, and inject new vitality and innovation into global smart industry development.

By 2025, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) is projected to exceed a total economic output of RMB 14.5 trillion, securing its place in the global elite tier of bay areas. It will continue to serve as the core engine of China's economic growth, with its GDP accounting for more than a tenth of the national total, underscoring its pivotal status.

The realization of this ambitious goal is highly contingent upon the intelligent and digital transformation of its industrial system. Key industrial sectors stand out:The Electronic Information Industry is a core component of the global supply chain.

The Automotive Manufacturing Sector (especially new energy vehicles) is undergoing profound changes driven by electrification and intelligence. Nearly 30% of GBA enterprises have fully digitized their equipment, and over 80% have built data algorithm models.

The region is also a magnet for technological innovation resources. The core Artificial Intelligence industry boasts a scale exceeding RMB 220 billion, driving the accelerated intelligent evolution of industry through AI and Big Data technologies.

The Acceleration of Industrial Intelligence and New Productive Forces 2025 is anticipated to be the year of explosion for AI terminal applications. The New Quality Productive Forces, exemplified by AI, are accelerating the Fourth Industrial Revolution, breathing new life into traditional industry.

The GBA, with its manufacturing-led development model, is at a critical juncture, transitioning from mere digitization toward full intelligence. Fueled by the innovation-driven development strategy, the GBA's industrial upgrading has been remarkable, establishing a high-end manufacturing-led structure dominated by sectors like electronics, electrical equipment, automotive, and general-purpose machinery.

This robust growth is driving the industrial structure toward high-end, intelligent development. Over the next 5 to 8 years, the entire GBA is expected to become the most intelligently advanced bay area globally and a hotbed for the next wave of scientific and technological breakthroughs.

The focus will shift to enhancing manufacturing efficiency and competitive advantage through technological innovation and supply chain collaboration, creating vast potential for smart industry growth. This progress is evident not only in the widespread adoption of automation ("robots replacing humans") but, more significantly, in the leap from individual smart factories to full industrial chain collaboration, establishing a data-driven intelligent manufacturing high ground. This evolution will provide a "China Solution" and a "Bay Area Model" for the global trajectory of Industry 4.0.