On May 20, Hou Fushen, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Society of Automotive Engineers, launched the “Automotive Innovation Technology Exhibition” brand at the 32nd annual conference and exhibition. This brand refreshes existing exhibitions at the conference. It also supports China’s goal of becoming a strong automotive nation. China has developed world-class automotive companies like BYD and CATL. Creating a global platform for automotive technology exchange is essential for this goal. This initiative marks a key step in China’s transition from a major automotive nation to a strong one.
**The Call of the Times: Accelerating the Transformation from Follower to Leader** China’s automotive industry stands at a critical juncture. In 2024, the country will produce 32.568 million vehicles. Of these, 12.346 million will be new energy vehicles, accounting for 34.7% and 67.1% of global production, respectively. The penetration rate of L2-level assisted driving passenger cars will reach 57.3%. China has become the core source of global automotive technology innovation. In this context, AITX’s emergence responds to industry upgrades. It marks China’s shift from a technology follower to a global innovator.
Hou Fushen pointed out that China has become the largest automotive market and strongest innovation ecosystem globally. It is essential to create a world-class automotive technology exhibition in China. AITX will serve as a “window platform” to showcase China’s automotive technology leadership. It will also become a global platform for collaborative innovation, offering a “technology compass,” “solution library,” and “innovation treasure chest” for the global automotive industry. AITX has set four development goals focused on “technology innovation and open cooperation.” It aims to be the annual “compass” for automotive technology innovation. AITX will highlight energy-saving and new energy vehicle technology roadmaps, annual top ten technology trends, technology awards, and showcase new products from leading companies. AITX will act as a “catalyst” for accelerating automotive technology innovation. It will connect industry, academia, and research through project pitches and technology roadshows, promoting cross-industry innovation. AITX will host an annual “Technology Festival” for its vast membership base. This festival will enhance understanding, strengthen cooperation, and deepen friendships among members. AITX will become a “destination” for automotive engineers worldwide. It will attract global participation through technology displays and annual meetings, fostering the exchange of new ideas and technologies. By 2030, AITX plans to be the largest and most influential global automotive technology innovation exhibition. It aims to host over 600 exhibiting companies and attract 100,000 professional attendees, supporting the development of a strong automotive nation and leading global automotive innovation. **Three, Foundations and Conditions: Leverage the Advantages of Four-Chain Integration and Implement Six Key Measures** AITX focuses on automotive technology rather than general auto shows like the Munich Motor Show, North American International Auto Show, Tokyo Motor Show, and Shanghai Auto Show, which emphasize consumer engagement. AITX prioritizes a technology innovation ecosystem, targeting partnerships and business-to-business interactions. It leads in emerging technologies like electrification and intelligence. The proportion of content related to these areas surpasses that of other professional auto exhibitions worldwide. For a long time, the world will look to China, and China will look to AITX for insights and collaboration in automotive electrification and intelligence. Hou Fushen stated that the China Society of Automotive Engineers will leverage its organizational strengths, rich innovation resources, and comprehensive service advantages from the integration of technology, industry, talent, and funding. It will implement six key measures to develop AITX: First, it will connect exhibitions with conferences. It will promote low-carbon, electrification, and intelligent technologies. The annual meeting of the China Society of Automotive Engineers will feature 120 academic sessions and attract thousands of professionals, ensuring seamless integration with AITX. Second, it will build clusters for development. It will promote large-scale clustering in eight thematic exhibition areas, focusing on intelligent networking, smart chassis, testing technology, and intelligent manufacturing. The society will optimize and integrate existing resources from related professional exhibitions, linking the automotive innovation chain with the industrial chain to cultivate a complete automotive innovation ecosystem. Three, innovate services. Throughout the year, connect industry, academia, and research online. Facilitate connections along the industrial chain and with procurement. Conduct project roadshows for science and technology. Organize precise matching activities for exhibitors. Leverage platforms like academic exchanges, strategic think tanks, member services, innovation incubation, talent recommendations, and group standards. Provide specialized services on demand. Meet exhibitors’ needs for technology branding, upstream and downstream cooperation, financing, and ecosystem building. Four, co-create widely. Collaborate with over 60 branches of the Automotive Society and relevant local associations. Establish deep partnerships with interdisciplinary and cross-industry ecological collaborators. Focus on different technology exhibition areas. Recruit and appoint a group of AITX recommended officials. Invite them to participate in planning, organizing, and promoting special exhibition areas. Five, maintain a global perspective. Collaborate with relevant chambers of commerce, industry associations, and trade promotion agencies. Target major countries and regions in the global automotive industry. Invite leading overseas companies in the automotive supply chain to participate in technology exhibitions. Organize relevant procurement groups for connections. Explore joint organization of national exhibition groups. Invite professional representatives from over 30 countries and regions to engage in exchanges. Six, serve locally. Empower the industry by prioritizing the needs of the Chongqing automotive industry cluster. Use AITX to showcase outstanding companies and leading technologies in Chongqing’s intelligent connected new energy vehicle sector. Support Chongqing in building a trillion-level intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry cluster. Welcome domestic and international automotive industry clusters to bring local companies to exhibit and share new opportunities in automotive industry development. **New Developments at the First Exhibition: Industry Giants Gather, Opening a New Chapter in October** AITX 2025 launched fully in February. It features eight major exhibition themes: smart connectivity and future mobility, new energy and power systems, chassis systems, simulation and testing, smart manufacturing and equipment, automotive materials and components, complete vehicle products, research education, and awards. The exhibition covers 25,000 square meters. It expects to attract 30,000 visitors from over 30 countries. Currently, AITX receives significant attention and active participation. Over 100 companies confirmed their participation, with more than 100 expressing interest. Key participating vehicle manufacturers include BYD, Seres, Changan, Dongfeng, Geely, Xpeng, Xiaomi, and Leap Motor. Important parts suppliers include Bosch, Yinfeng, Horizon, Hisilicon, Times Intelligent, iFlytek, Chipone, Black Sesame, Beidou Zhili, CITIC Technology, AMD, Toshiba, Interpace, and ANSYS. Key research institutions include China Automotive Research, China Merchants Automotive Research, National Automotive Intelligence, Western Intelligent, National Innovation Center, and China Automotive Innovation. **Collaborative Innovation: Injecting Strong Momentum into the Automotive Industry** AITX’s core mission is to create a complete automotive technology innovation ecosystem. AITX will accelerate technological innovation in the automotive industry on two levels. At the industry level, it will speed up collaborative innovation, drive industrial transformation and upgrading, foster new technologies, new business formats, and new models, and lead global automotive technology integration. At the enterprise level, it will assist participating companies in expanding industry resources and identifying potential customers. It will enhance companies’ visibility and technological brand image, promote technical exchanges and industry-academia-research cooperation, and help companies understand cutting-edge technology trends while learning best practices. Hou Fushen stated that the global automotive industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation. In this profound transformation, AITX will start anew. It will focus on technology, maintain a global perspective, and promote open cooperation. AITX aims to play a unique role in building a strong automotive nation and driving global automotive technology innovation. It calls on all parties to collaborate and define the era’s coordinates for automotive technology development. Together, they will embark on a new journey of automotive technological advancement. Finally, AITX invites the entire industry to meet in October. They will gather in Chongqing, the automotive city, to explore the secrets of automotive progress and appreciate the essence of core technologies.