HEFEI, China, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 World Manufacturing Convention opened in Hefei, Anhui province, on September 20 under the theme "Intelligent Manufacturing for a Better Future." This is the eighth consecutive year Anhui has hosted the convention. The United Kingdom is the guest country of honor. British Ambassador to China Peter Wilson delivered remarks, while Solange Amicha, representing the Cabinet Minister of the Presidency of Côte d'Ivoire, read out a congratulatory letter from the Ivorian president.

The convention has attracted more than 1,000 guests, including over 500 overseas representatives, and more than 40 overseas companies. The 70,000-square-meter convention features an interactive unmanned-systems showcase at Luogang Park, alongside China-Europe, China-France and China-UK industrial matchmaking events.

The convention secured 735 projects worth 380.2 billion yuan in investment in 2025. During preparations for this year's convention, 946 cooperation projects involving more than 400 billion yuan had been identified, mostly in the ten emerging industries. The convention also continues to engage state-owned, private, foreign-funded, Hong Kong and Macao, Taiwan-funded and overseas Chinese enterprises.

Anhui's manufacturing sector has maintained rapid growth. Revenue from industrial enterprises above designated size has crossed two trillion-yuan thresholds, while the province's manufacturing quality development index has risen from seventh to fifth nationwide. From January to July 2026, value added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew 12.7 percent year on year, the highest in 58 months. Industrial profits rose 63.5 percent to 195.9 billion yuan, contributing 58.3 percent of the province's GDP growth.

In the first seven months, output value of strategic emerging industries grew 17.3 percent, accounting for 46.1 percent of industrial output. New energy vehicle, integrated circuit and robot output rose 27.5 percent, 28.6 percent and 32.8 percent, respectively. Some 17,000 industrial enterprises have completed intelligent and digital transformation. The province now has eight "lighthouse factories" and 1,907 first-set major technical equipment, first-batch new materials and first-version software products.

Anhui will continue developing intelligent connected vehicles, integrated circuits and robotics, while cultivating quantum technology, biomanufacturing and hydrogen energy. It will also advance digital, intelligent and green transformation and build advanced manufacturing clusters worth trillions of yuan.

The convention showcases Anhui's manufacturing achievements and marks a new starting point for deeper integration into global industrial and supply chains.