EmTech China 2025 in Shanghai's Jing'an District gathered global tech leaders to discuss the future of innovation, AI, and global collaboration in technology.
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| EmTech China 2025 gathered global leaders in Shanghai to discuss emerging technologies, AI’s role, and the path forward for tech collaboration across borders. Image: EmTech China |
Shanghai, China — September 16, 2025:
EmTech China 2025, one of the world’s foremost technology summits, opened its doors on September 12 at the Shibei Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai’s Jing’an District. The two-day event brought together leading scientists, industry giants, and innovators to explore cutting-edge technologies and the evolving landscape of global collaboration. Participants engaged in keynote sessions, panel discussions, and saw the unveiling of the prestigious 50 Smartest Companies in China (TR50) list.
Organized by MIT Technology Review, EmTech is renowned as a platform for discussing the most significant breakthroughs in emerging technologies, AI, and the future of global innovation. Since its inception in China in 2018, EmTech China has evolved into a vital event that bridges the gap between Asia-Pacific's innovation community and the world.
Over the course of the summit, discussions centered on six key themes. Topics included the changing landscape of global cooperation, the transition of emerging technologies from the lab to the market, and the explosive rise of AI. There was also significant focus on how technologies are moving from the virtual world to the physical, exploring the building blocks for a sustainable future, and anticipating the next wave of emerging technologies.
The event featured some of the brightest minds in science and technology, including Nobel laureate Andre Geim, CAS academicians Tan Weihong and Zhu Meifang, and John A. Rogers, a prominent figure in the scientific community with memberships in all five U.S. national academies. Their research presentations highlighted topics such as 2D materials, molecular medicine, fiber materials, and bioelectronics. These discussions underscored a central trend: scientific breakthroughs are accelerating industrial applications faster than ever before.
The summit also stressed that the real value of technology lies not just in its innovation, but in its ability to address real-world challenges and create tangible, measurable impact on industries and societies.
Held in Shibei Hi-Tech Park, an innovation hub in Jing’an, the event was set against a backdrop of Shanghai’s ambition to position itself as a key global player in the technology sector. The district’s motto, “in Jing’an, for Shanghai, connecting China, linking the world,” encapsulated the essence of the summit, which aimed to foster cross-border collaboration and ignite new technological solutions.
The Shibei Hi-Tech Park’s integrated ecosystem of innovation and industry served as the ideal setting for the summit, reinforcing Shanghai’s role as a focal point for technological development. The district’s infrastructure is designed to nurture the transformation of ideas into impactful technologies—a theme that resonated strongly during the event.
Looking ahead, EmTech China 2025 has not only spotlighted the advancements in AI, biotechnology, and sustainability, but also demonstrated how cities like Shanghai are increasingly central to the future of global innovation. Insights from this event are expected to fuel the momentum of dynamic districts like Jing’an, continuing to drive technological collaboration both within China and around the world.
In conclusion, EmTech China 2025 has highlighted Shanghai’s growing influence on the global tech scene, and it is clear that the city is committed to shaping the future of innovation through strategic collaboration and continuous investment in cutting-edge technologies. As the world looks to the future of technology, the focus is now firmly on places like Shanghai, where global cooperation and breakthrough innovations are setting the stage for the next technological revolution.