The 15th China International Equipment Manufacturing Exposition takes place at Shenyang International Exhibition Center on Sept 1, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 15th China International Equipment Manufacturing Exposition and the second China (Shenyang) International Robots Exhibition took place at Shenyang International Exhibition Center on Sept 1, 2016 and ended on Sept 5.

With downward pressures on the economy, the organizing committee of the exposition met a series of difficulties such as a lack of enthusiasm for the event among companies.

With the support of Liaoning Provincial Government, the organizing committee tackled a list of problems by adopting measures such as waiving charges for companies from the western part of the province.

The exposition covered an area totaling 110,000 square meters, and attracted an estimated 1,000 companies. The percentage of booths provided for foreign companies exceeded 33 percent. Prominent foreign firms including Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron and KUKA attended the event.

After the success enjoyed by Suzhou companies at the exposition last year, the delegation from Suzhou attending this year’s exposition included representatives from more than 80 companies, and covered an exhibiting area of 3,000 square meters.

One thing that makes this year’s exposition different from previous ones is the attendance of prominent e-commerce companies, such as Google and Alibaba. They were able to offer platforms to ensure suppliers and buyers connect with each other online.

During the exposition, a special area featuring defense-related technologies was also open to visitors, including products related to aviation, nuclear energy, electronic engineering and anti-terrorism.