The China Hi-tech Fair 2009 will be held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province from November 16 to 21, showcasing the country's cutting edge hi-tech products.
Over the course of the last 10 years, the event has evolved into the largest and the most influential science and technology exhibition in China, serving as an important platform for economic and technological exchange. According to the organizers, the fair also plays an important role in globally promoting the country's burgeoning hi-tech sector.
The 2009 event is set to take proprietary innovation as its theme and look to encourage companies to develop their own unique products and services.
Against the backdrop of the current economic turmoil, innovation and intellectual property rights (IPR) are seen as key to industrial restructuring, changing development patterns and maintaining stable and rapid economic growth.
Assessing the importance of the event, a spokesman for the organizers said such a high-level hi-tech event will be an important way of showcasing China's technological progress in recent years, as well as promoting industrial restructuring and revitalization and bolstering Chinese companies' commitment to self-owned innovation.
Themed zones
With the aim of "strengthening self-innovation and promoting the revitalization of 10 key industries", the National Development and Reform Commission plans to set up a dedicated exhibition area at the fair, focusing on 10 chosen sectors - electronic information, equipment manufacturing, automobiles, ship building, steel, nonferrous materials, petrochemicals, light industry, textiles and logistics.
The Commission's initiative will reflect its commitment to supporting the national self-innovation strategy, whilst improving the technological innovation capabilities and accelerating the pace at which new products are brought to market.
The commission has been working on providing support for the restructuring of these 10 key industries. This support has included a series of policies aimed at stimulating domestic demand and maintaining stable and rapid economic growth, as well as initiatives designed to increase industrial innovation capability and competitiveness.
Some 60 leading Chinese companies, including Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Lenovo, TCL, Haier, Hisense, Midea, Gree, Datang Telecom, PetroChina, Sinopec, COSCO, Chinalco, CIMC, China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, China FAW Group, Chery and Geely are expected to showcase their latest hi-tech products at the fair.
Taking the theme of a "green and environmental friendly, innovational future", an exhibition zone sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce is designed to be divided into three sections.
Taking full advantages of the fair in terms of promoting exchange and cooperation in science and technology, as well as trade and business, the zone will be primarily aimed at promoting hi-tech products in new energy on an international basis. Around 80 companies, including the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, CASW and GE China, will present their latest products and technologies in this zone.
The Ministry of Commerce has announced to host a special seminar covering investment in the US and the establishment of a photovoltaic industrial park during the fair.
The State Intellectual Property Office will unveil its first international innovation contest, and hold a seminar highlighting information on invention, innovation and patents. Similar activities will be undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture, this time focusing on "technology and the environment: quality and harmony".
A number of hi-tech landmarks, part of national tour to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of New China, will be also on show at the fair. These will include insights into China's contribution to the information technology industry, as well as its achievements in photoelectricity, new energy, aviation, space exploration and biology.
The Ministry of Science and Technology zone will also display many of the principal scientific achievements of the past 60 years, whilst the Chinese Academy of Sciences' section will showcase the importance of scientific innovation for economic and social development.
A special zone for renewable energy, energy saving and environmental protection will make its debut at this year's fair. This will highlight the pioneering technologies and products now available in these fields, including electronic vehicles.
The electronic show, one of the three professional exhibitions at the fair, will also focus on renewable energy and environmental issues.
Regional economies
The fair will feature seven zones dedicated to displaying the achievements of seven major regions in the hi-tech field, including the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong innovation circle, the Bohai Bay rim, the Northeast China economic circle, the West China economic circle and the Central China economic circle.
All of the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) will be well represented at the fair.
Beijing plans to introduce its hi-tech companies and projects, whilst Shanghai will collaborate with other provinces in the Yangtze River Delta to display their collective achievements.
Guangdon will focus on its homegrown projects, government-funded development and research projects, as well as its export projects.
The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region will highlight regional cooperation, demonstrating its success in attracting both funding and a high caliber of staff. It also promoted the Beibu-Bay economic zone's conducive investment environment.
The Shanxi province will focus on its future plans to increase its export of hi-tech products and deepen cooperation within the Pearl River Delta area.
Commenting on the significance of the event, Premier Wen Jiabao said: "A successful China High-tech Fair is important for highlighting the need for self-innovation, economic restructuring and changes in business development patterns."
A spokesman for the organizers said: "It is important to improve this hi-tech fair at a time when the country is coping with problems arising from the global financial crisis and looking to promote its own scientific development.
"We hope it brings together and unites the country's foremost innovative resources, whilst building awareness of the need to develop new and wholly-owned proprietary technologies and solutions. We also believe that the success stories on show will boost the confidence of Chinese businesses in combating the financial downturn. This is vital if we are going to see the continued, stable growth of the economy and the establishment of an innovation-driven business sector."
As a State-level scientific fair, the fair plays an important role in establishing an innovation-driven economy and in implementing the country's mid- to long-term development blueprint. It is also crucial for promoting the industrialization of the country's scientific achievements, showcasing the development of the high-tech industry and highlighting the need for scientific cooperation within the international community.
The event is co-sponsored by the ministries of commerce, science and technology, industry and Information Technology, education, human resources and social security, and agriculture, the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Intellectual Property Office, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Shenzhen municipal government.