ZGC Forum highlights cutting-edge technology

This year's conference places a strong emphasis on cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, life sciences, green development and basic research.

Sixty parallel forums will be held, with 20 initiatives launched for the first time, including the Open Science International Forum and the Ocean Science and Development Forum. More than 30 international organizations and institutions are co-hosting 18 events, with numerous leaders participating in discussions.

Ma Juan, CEO of Steinbeis Sustainable Technology and Management Beijing Co, noted that this year's forum focuses on cutting-edge technologies.

"In the past year, we selected 12 cutting-edge technologies among the 60 globally to cooperate deeply with local Beijing companies, which has promoted a local industrial upgrade," Ma said.

AI and humanoid robots are major highlights at this year's forum and have generated significant interest among the participants, who can encounter robots at the forum venue engaged in such activities as serving drinks, answering questions, delivering items and even writing calligraphy.

Nearly 100 robots from 15 companies are deployed at the site, according to the organizer.

"We aim to make the Zhongguancun Forum's annual meeting a grand stage for the concentrated display of new technologies, products and scenarios," said Jin Wei, vice-mayor of Beijing, at a news conference last week.

At Thursday's opening ceremony, the National Natural Science Foundation of China released a list of the country's top 10 scientific advances of 2024.

The advances were mainly achieved in the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy, information science, chemistry, materials science, energy, Earth and environmental science, and life and medical science.

The ZGC Forum, founded in 2007, has evolved into a national-level open innovation platform as well as an international forum.

Xinhua contributed to this story.