The 11th World Intelligent Manufacturing Expo 2026 Opens in Nanjing on November 19

When agile humanoid robots step onto production lines, when a steel large model with hundreds of billions of parameters commands blast furnace tapping, and when unmanned engineering vehicles autonomously load and unload outside exhibition halls—these scenes that once appeared in science fiction films are about to become reality in Nanjing. From November 19 to 21, the 2026 11th World Intelligent Manufacturing Expo will be held at the Nanjing International Expo Center. With the theme "Intelligence Leads Change · AI Reshapes Manufacturing," this year's expo covers an exhibition area of 52,000 square meters, bringing together more than 400 domestic and overseas enterprises to showcase the latest achievements in the deep integration of artificial intelligence and the real economy. This expo continues the four-theme-hall layout of Halls 4, 5, 6, and 7, and for the first time has made refined divisions by segmented tracks, from robot bodies to core components, from smart factory benchmarks to industrial chain collaboration, achieving full-chain coverage of intelligent manufacturing. Hall 4, the Intelligent Robots and Intelligent Equipment Hall, consists of three major exhibition areas: embodied intelligent robots, industrial robots, and core components. Industry leaders such as KUKA, Estun, Siasun, Lexiang, Zhujing Intelligent, and Uniq have confirmed their participation. Visitors can see in one place the "big four families" of industrial robots and new domestic forces competing on the same stage. Hall 5, the Smart Factory Hall, focuses on real implementation cases of leading-level and excellence-level smart factories. Leading enterprises such as Nangang Group, XCMG Group, Panda Group, and the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center will bring replicable and referenceable "smart manufacturing model rooms." The hall has set up an International Special Invitation Exhibition Area for the first time, with companies such as Germany's Siemens already participating, allowing visitors to connect with cutting-edge European manufacturing technology without going abroad. Hall 6, the International Industry-Education Integration Hall, brings together more than 200 high-quality exhibitors from 30 countries and regions around the world, creating a high-end platform integrating international exchange, digital and intelligent equipment display, high-end talent cultivation, and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, with a focus on showcasing innovative achievements in "industry-education integration and dual-high collaboration" that empower the development of new quality productive forces. Hall 7, the Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Chain Integration Hall, anchors three major directions: intelligent shipbuilding, smart logistics and industrial machine tools, and intelligent manufacturing of new energy vehicles. Vehicle and supply chain enterprises such as Changan Ecosystem, Shangjie Ecosystem, and Iveco Ecosystem will exhibit collectively, outlining the complete ecosystem of intelligent manufacturing for new energy vehicles. The biggest highlight of this expo: a 1.8-meter-tall humanoid robot can both practice tai chi and carry materials; dexterous robotic arms perform precise operations on production lines; some robots can even steadily pour wine and skillfully deal playing cards, handling fine tasks with real finesse; humanoid robots from local Nanjing enterprises have already entered supermarkets and exhibition sites to provide services. Industrial robot "old friends" such as KUKA, Estun, and Siasun have brought collaborative robots capable of lifting 35-kilogram heavy objects, while Nanjing-based Estun showcases the hard power of domestic heavy-duty robots. In steelmaking workshops, AI large models have already taken up posts, and Nangang and XCMG have brought real "smart factories" to their booths. In the automobile exhibition area, the high-level autonomous driving systems brought by Changan and Shangjie have already been mass-produced and installed on vehicles. Visitors can also see the rocket technology display of commercial space enterprise Tianbing Technology and feel how intelligent manufacturing supports space dreams. During the expo, the organizing committee has carefully arranged more than 10 high-end supporting activities around the four dimensions of "sharing, release, matchmaking, and negotiation," covering industry hotspots and urgent enterprise needs. Among them, the AI + Embodied Intelligence and Robot Innovation Forum will bring together top experts from industry, academia, and research to discuss the large-scale path of embodied intelligence from the laboratory to the production line; the Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative Enterprises Investment and Financing Matchmaking Conference will build a capital matchmaking bridge for small and medium-sized enterprises; the 2026 Yangtze River Delta International Shipbuilding Industry Green and Intelligent Innovation Conference will closely follow Jiangsu's shipbuilding industry advantages and focus on green and intelligent transformation; and the Science and Innovation Leading Smart Chain Hardware New Quality Industry High-Quality Development Conference will target the digital upgrading of hardware, a traditional advantageous industry. In addition, multiple activities such as industry trend discussions, technology achievement releases, supply-demand matchmaking, and enterprise overseas cooperation will be intensively held, promoting technology from exhibition booths to workshops and from intentions to orders. In addition to the static displays inside the exhibition halls, this expo has also created an "Unmanned Technology Real-Scene Experience Ground" in the outdoor plaza. Unmanned cars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and intelligent operation machinery will demonstrate on site the practical applications of unmanned intelligent technology in logistics transportation, industrial operations, public services, and other fields. L4 unmanned heavy trucks, which have already been operating at scale at local bulk cargo terminals in Jiangsu, will demonstrate on site their real skills in automatic alignment loading and unloading and platoon driving. Visitors will no longer watch through glass but can observe intelligent operation machinery autonomously completing loading, unloading, and inspections at close range—turning intelligent manufacturing from "hearing concepts" into something "visible and tangible." After 11 years of deep cultivation, what has evolved is not only the scale of the exhibition but also a footnote to the era of China's manufacturing industry moving from "following" to "running in parallel" and even "leading." From a decade ago when industrial robots were still mainly imported, to today when domestic humanoid robots step onto production lines, steel large models command blast furnaces, and high-level autonomous driving enters ordinary households, every leap of intelligent manufacturing has left its mark on this stage in Nanjing. From November 19 to 21, at the Nanjing International Expo Center, this industry event gathering global intelligent manufacturing wisdom awaits visitors. Want to touch the temperature of the future factory first? Why not step into the exhibition halls and see with your own eyes how AI is reshaping manufacturing. (This article is a submission for the 2026 11th World Intelligent Manufacturing Expo and does not represent the views and stance of this website. The content is for reference only. If it unintentionally infringes on media or personal intellectual property rights, please call or write to inform us, and this website will handle it as soon as possible. Images are authorized for release, and copyright belongs to the original author.)