WAIC 2026 International Exhibitor Showcase: From "Tech Watching" to "Partner Finding" – Global AI Powers Gather in Shanghai

From July 17 to 20, the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High‑Level Meeting on Global AI Governance (WAIC) was held across four venues in three districts – Shanghai Expo, Zhangjiang, and West Bund. With a total exhibition area exceeding 100,000 square metres for the first time, over 1,100 Chinese and foreign companies presented more than 4,000 cutting‑edge technological achievements, including more than 300 global product debuts. The event drew 102 countries and international organisations, over 400,000 offline visitors, and generated intended procurement orders worth RMB 20.36 billion. Compared with previous editions, the floor space occupied by overseas exhibitors increased to nearly 40% of the total, and new participants from Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America were noticeably more numerous, making the conference a truly borderless global AI gala.

Against this backdrop, the composition and expectations of overseas exhibitors are undergoing profound changes. As Xinhua Finance reported: "Unlike in the past when they came mainly to 'see technologies and look for products', this year overseas exhibitors' demands are shifting – they not only hope to find Chinese partners, but also wish to co‑develop products and explore markets with Chinese firms." WAIC is evolving from an important window into China's AI development into a platform connecting global technologies, industries, and markets. On site, more than 200 one‑on‑one business matching sessions were held in rapid succession, with interactions between overseas exhibitors and Chinese buyers, investors, and technology developers far exceeding previous years – the eagerness to cooperate was unprecedented.

I. From "Tech Watching" to "Partner Finding": The Changing Demands of Overseas Exhibitors

"Partners, talent, and funding – these are the three things I came to China hoping to find most." At WAIC 2026, Ajay Kakarlapudi, founder and CEO of Singapore‑based ContexQ, spoke candidly. His AI company, which focuses on financial crime detection, anti‑fraud, and supply chain risk management, hopes to connect with more Chinese enterprises through WAIC to "find partners, talent, and capital, and jointly push technologies into real‑world applications." Kakarlapudi revealed that within the first two days of the show, he had held initial discussions with more than 20 Chinese fintech companies, and three of them had already agreed to follow‑up talks on deeper collaboration.

This shift in expectations is highly representative. Overseas companies are no longer focused solely on whether a particular technology is leading; they are also examining whether China can offer a complete industrial ecosystem, abundant application scenarios, and more efficient commercialisation pathways. Pierre Dupont, founder of the French digital‑twin startup VirtuaPlan, remarked: "Our city‑scale digital twin platform has completed technical validation in Europe, but we lack large‑scale deployment scenarios. China runs thousands of smart‑city projects each year – that is the real place to test and iterate our technology." His company not only brought the latest real‑time rendering engine to the show, but also a cooperation proposal for joint testing with Shanghai's Lingang New City.

Bhanu Jafali, product lead at US‑based AI company SpreeAI, was impressed at the exhibition: "The scale is much larger than we imagined. So many AI companies are gathered here, and the level of internationalisation is very high." SpreeAI offers virtual‑try‑on solutions for fashion brands. On its first visit, Jafali was struck by the diversity of robots on display – some could brew tea, others could open bottles, and still others could perform even more complex manipulations. "The speed of AI development in China may be faster than many Western markets realise," she said. She particularly noted that Chinese consumers are extremely receptive to new technologies, making the country an ideal testbed for consumer‑facing AI applications. SpreeAI plans to formally launch local operations in the Chinese market after the conference.

Beyond one‑on‑one business talks, this year's WAIC also established a "Global AI Cooperation Desk" for the first time, providing overseas exhibitors with policy consultations, legal services, and localisation support. According to the desk's statistics, it handled more than 500 inquiries from overseas exhibitors during the show, with the most frequently asked questions concerning data compliance, intellectual property protection, and cross‑border talent recruitment. This reflects that overseas enterprises have shifted their focus from mere "technology showcasing" to "deep rooting."

II. Global Exhibitors Show Their Strengths: From Supply Chains to Consumer Scenarios, from Industrial Manufacturing to Smart Cities

Singapore: The "Central Brain" of AI‑Native Supply Chains

Shangye Nongao, a company headquartered in Singapore and Hong Kong, demonstrated its AI‑native supply chain system at WAIC. The system deploys over 70 intelligent agents coordinated by a "central brain" – different agents handle the collection and processing of orders, inventory, and logistics information respectively. "We are not trying to replace people with AI entirely; we want to create a collaborative model where AI and humans work together," said Chen Siting, the company's project assistant. The system can automatically complete most routine tasks, only handing over complex matters such as large‑value fund transfers to human operators. During the show, technical leads from several Chinese e‑commerce platforms and logistics firms showed strong interest in the system's scheduling efficiency and fault‑tolerance mechanisms, and two leading logistics companies have already expressed interest in pilot cooperation.

United States: Virtual Try‑On and Consumer Technology

SpreeAI's virtual‑try‑on solution allows brands to integrate its SDK so that consumers can view fit effects in different styles, colours, and sizes online, helping brands boost conversion rates and reduce return‑related operational costs. Beyond meeting investors, the company also hopes to find Chinese partners in AI and consumer technology. According to its booth staff, SpreeAI has reached a preliminary agreement with a well‑known domestic apparel brand to jointly launch an online fitting room feature based on the technology in the fourth quarter of 2026, which will cover more than 5 million active users.

Germany: Deep Integration of Manufacturing and AI

German industrial giant Siemens announced the launch of the 2026 Xcelerator Open Competition during WAIC 2026, inviting engineers from China and around the world to explore how AI can improve automation in smart‑manufacturing scenarios. This marks a shift from technology demonstration to joint R&D in the deep integration of German manufacturing and AI. Siemens also showcased a predictive maintenance system based on digital twins, which has been validated at its Chengdu factory and can reduce unplanned downtime by 42%. During the show, Siemens signed joint development agreements with several Chinese automotive manufacturers to adapt the system for new‑energy vehicle production lines.

Japan: Human‑Robot Collaboration and Lightweight AI

FANUC brought its latest collaborative robot, the CRX series, equipped with an adaptive grasping algorithm based on reinforcement learning. It can recognise and handle more than 200 different workpiece shapes without pre‑programming. At the booth, a robot worked alongside staff on precision assembly tasks – smooth movements and high safety levels drew large crowds of professional visitors. FANUC's China head noted that demand for flexible manufacturing in China is exploding, and they hope to build closer partnerships with local system integrators through WAIC to promote the adoption of lightweight AI in small and medium‑sized factories.

United Kingdom: AI‑Driven Drug Discovery Platform

UK‑based biotech company Insilico Medicine presented a major upgrade to its generative AI drug‑discovery platform, Chemistry42. The platform can generate candidate molecules with specific pharmacological activity within weeks, dramatically shortening the early stages of drug R&D. Insilico already collaborates with multiple research institutions and pharmaceutical companies in Shanghai, and this year's participation further expanded its partner network in China. On site, it announced a new agreement with a Zhangjiang‑based pharma firm to co‑develop anti‑tumour drugs.

South Korea: Smart Cities and AI Security

SK Telecom showcased its AI city‑management platform at WAIC, integrating traffic prediction, public‑safety alerts, and environmental monitoring, already deployed in parts of Seoul and Busan. At the show, SK Telecom signed a smart‑city cooperation memorandum with Nanjing's Jiangning District in China, planning to introduce some of its technical solutions into Jiangning's future‑city pilot zone. This collaboration is regarded as a landmark project in China‑ROK AI urban governance.

Middle East: Industrial AI and Energy

The UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence brought several incubated projects, while Saudi Arabia's DataSpark demonstrated an industrial AI inspection system for petrochemicals. Both Middle Eastern organisations explicitly expressed interest in joint ventures and cooperation with Chinese companies in areas such as new‑energy AI and smart cities. According to conference organisers, several sovereign wealth funds from the region have held closed‑door meetings with Chinese AI unicorns, with potential investment volumes expected to exceed RMB 10 billion.

Singapore's Shangye Nongao, meanwhile, set out its funding needs in the venture‑capital zone, seeking Pre‑Series A strategic investors with an intended round of US$5 million. It had already made initial contact with four or five institutions during the show, and one Chinese investor has reportedly moved into due diligence – a faster pace than expected.

III. International Pavilion Highlights: Expanding Cooperation Landscape and Vibrant Start‑up Ecosystem

This year's WAIC featured the H4 Global Connection Hall, bringing together 158 start‑ups and 22 OPC projects. Here, China's AI native forces attracted global capital. The H4 Hall hosted a daily "Global Roadshow Marathon" featuring 73 start‑ups from 16 countries, with an audience of sovereign‑fund and venture‑capital representatives from Silicon Valley, London, Singapore, and the Middle East. According to official statistics, by the third day of the show, more than 30 overseas start‑ups had received letters of intent from Chinese investment institutions, with total amounts exceeding RMB 800 million.

Hong Kong Cyberport participated in WAIC for the fourth consecutive year, leading six AI companies to the "Hong Kong Pavilion," showcasing innovations in Agentic AI, legal technology, fintech, and cybersecurity. Cyberport CEO Peter Cheng said the aim was to demonstrate Hong Kong's AI R&D strength to the world and accelerate the transition from technological innovation to industrial application and global expansion. This year, the Hong Kong Pavilion added a dedicated "Cross‑Border Data Compliance" desk, providing on‑site guidance on the latest policies regarding data flows between the mainland and Hong Kong – a service that attracted many international exhibitors.

Taiwanese enterprises also participated as a group. Supported by the Cross‑Strait Economic and Technology Cooperation Center, more than 20 Taiwanese AI firms, including Foxconn Industrial Internet, MediaTek, and ASE Group, gathered in the "Cross‑Strait AI Integration and Innovation Exhibition Zone" to present cutting‑edge achievements in AI chips, servers, and smart sports. MediaTek showcased its next‑generation AI mobile computing platform capable of on‑device large‑model inference, while Foxconn Industrial Internet presented an AI vision solution for industrial quality inspection with micron‑level accuracy. Several closed‑door technical exchange meetings were held in the zone to explore deeper integration in semiconductors and smart manufacturing.

The European joint pavilion appeared for the first time as the "European AI Innovation Corridor," featuring more than 40 companies from 12 countries including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland. Senior officials from the European Commission's AI Office participated in a "China‑EU AI Governance Dialogue" on site, exchanging views on algorithm transparency, data sharing, and other shared concerns. France's Dassault Systèmes demonstrated its AI‑based virtual twin human model for surgical planning and ergonomic design; Sweden's Ericsson unveiled an AI‑driven intelligent orchestration system for 6G networks, which has completed initial validation in trial networks in Shanghai and Stockholm.

Middle Eastern players were equally notable. The UAE's artificial intelligence university brought multiple incubated projects, while Saudi Arabia's DataSpark showcased an industrial AI inspection system for the petrochemical sector. Both explicitly expressed a desire for joint ventures and cooperation with Chinese companies in new‑energy AI and smart‑city solutions. Organisers revealed that several Middle Eastern sovereign funds had held closed‑door meetings with Chinese AI unicorns, with potential investment volumes exceeding RMB 10 billion.

IV. From "Window" to "Platform": WAIC's Global Advancement and a New Chapter in Governance

At this year's WAIC, 108 chips, 261 large models, and 208 embodied‑intelligence terminals were concentrated on display. For the first time, intelligent computing and embodied intelligence were positioned as dual core tracks, each gathering more than 200 companies in dedicated halls. The conference also hosted over 140 forums, bringing together more than 1,400 Chinese and foreign guests. Overseas participants accounted for over 40% of the speakers, with Nobel laureates, Turing Award winners, and ministerial‑level officials delivering speeches on AI safety, ethical governance, computing‑power interconnection, green computing, and other frontier topics.

Notably, on July 16, 2026, 29 countries signed an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization – the ceremony took place on the eve of the conference. This landmark event marks a new phase in global AI governance and collaboration. The organisation will set up a permanent secretariat to coordinate joint action among member states on AI technical standards, cross‑border data flows, and ethical guidelines. As a principal advocate, China pledged to open its national AI computing platforms and public datasets for international research cooperation – a commitment that was warmly received by overseas exhibitors.

During the "Global AI Governance High‑Level Dialogue" held on the sidelines, participating countries agreed to designate 2027 as the "International Year of AI Standards Cooperation," promoting unified standards in AI performance evaluation, safety testing, and interoperability. Many overseas exhibitors said that standardisation would substantially lower technical barriers to AI product exports – a concrete outcome they most look forward to.

WAIC is evolving from a window into China's AI progress into a platform that connects global technologies, industries, and markets. As one German executive who has attended the conference for five consecutive years remarked: "When I first came to WAIC in 2019, it felt more like a reporting session on China's AI achievements. Now, it is the crossroads of global AI – you can see technology, find capital, meet customers, and close deals here, all within one week." As AI moves from technological breakthroughs to industrial implementation, WAIC 2026 – with its 1,100‑plus exhibitors, 102 participating countries and international organisations, and over 400,000 visitors – sends a clear signal to the world: the map of global AI cooperation is being rapidly drawn in Shanghai, China, and at its core is no longer one‑way technology transfer or import, but two‑way, multilateral co‑creation and shared benefit.