2026 Global Industrial Innovation and Development Forum Concludes Successfully in London IET

London – The WFT Global Industrial Innovation and Development Forum has successfully wrapped up at the IET London Global Flagship Conference Centre.

Hosted by the World Federation for Future Technology Development (WFT), co-hosted by Nouvelles d’Europe Uk, Global SDGs andLeadership Development Center(GSLDC)and theNational Institute of Advertising.organized by the International Youth Sustainable Innovation Summit, and co organized by the CAA International Communication Committee. It is supported by authoritative institutions including the

Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the International Artificial Intelligence Association (IAIA),and the Art Hongkong Expo. More than 300 delegates from political, business, academic, research and investment communities across China, the UK and beyond gathered in London for in‑depth exchanges covering artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, tech‑driven global expansion, and cross‑border investment and financing. Multiple industrial cooperation agreements were reached, yielding fruitful outcomes for China‑Europe innovation collaboration.

Centred on global industrial innovation‑driven development, the forum brought together authoritative institutions, leading enterprises and research universities including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), China‑Britain Business Council (CBBC), London & Partners, University College London, Imperial College London, ARM and WPP. Building on five pillars — business matchmaking, technology co‑creation, capital empowerment, compliance support and brand globalisation — it established a comprehensive implementation‑oriented service platform for Chinese sci‑tech enterprises seeking to enter the European market. Through seminars, special ceremonies, closed‑door matchmaking sessions and high‑end gala dinners, the forum delivered multi‑value outcomes including idea exchange, technical dialogue, business matching and high‑level networking.

The opening session featured distinguished guest speakers. Baroness Uddin (Member of the House of Lords), Professor Xiong Yu (Chair of WFT, Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences), Professor Liu Wei (Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts), and Yu Liangyi Deputy Chief Editor of Nouvelles d’Europe UK delivered opening remarks. The speakers shared perspectives on China‑UK commercial prospects, cross‑border investment opportunities and London’s sci‑tech innovation ecosystem, calling for deeper open collaboration between Chinese and British industries and innovation sectors to forge consensus on industrial cooperation.

The keynote‑speech session featured leading global experts presenting cutting‑edge technical insights and real‑world industrial practices. John McLean OBE, Chair of the China‑UK Business Development Centre (CUKBDC), analysed the value of innovation linkage and mutual trust for cross‑border collaboration and unpacked broad industrial‑investment opportunities between China and the UK. Daniel Hulme, WPP Chief AI Officer, Founder & CEO of Satalia and UCL Entrepreneur‑in‑Residence for Computer Science, offered an in‑depth analysis of the evolution of AI agents, discussing enterprise‑grade AI adoption and its far‑reaching impacts on business models and society at large. Gu Sai, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), elaborated on how engineering innovation empowers global industrial collaboration. Nzube Ufodike, Chair, IoD Emerging NEDs, Trustee of The Africa Centre charity, analysed AI‑governance issues and examined boards’ fiduciary‑duty challenges for artificial‑intelligence oversight. Daria Zhukova, External Communications Officer at ZYMIX, presented an overview of the ZYMIX innovation project. Eneko Knörr, Founder & CEO of Stabolut, explored how enterprises can pursue innovation‑led transformation amid a volatile global industrial landscape to unlock new growth opportunities. Fabio La Franca, Founder & Managing Partner, Blueverse Ventures, analysed the development of innovation corridors and the building‑up of cross‑border investment infrastructure. Tom Whitby, Co‑Founder & Chief Commercial Officer of Advanced Wing System, focused on the aerospace‑technology track and shared insights on R&D iteration and translating lab‑developed cutting‑edge aviation technologies into real‑world industrial applications. Lucy Li (Qingqing), Founder & CEO of SunnyQ Media Lab · UK, envisioned immersive narrative technologies and explored new interactive experiences blending virtual and real worlds. The speeches spanned China‑UK cross‑border economic and trade cooperation, AI‑agent applications, AI governance, industrial‑innovation transformation, cross‑border investment infrastructure, advanced aerospace technology and immersive digital interaction, delivering a multi‑dimensional global industrial thought feast.

At the Tech Leaders Roundtable, decision‑makers from Chinese and international sci‑tech enterprises as well as representatives from investment institutions held animated discussions on pain‑points for tech‑companies going global, cross‑border industry‑university‑research collaboration and investment‑financing pathways, generating practical take‑home insights for Chinese innovators expanding into Europe. Two launch ceremonies were held on‑site: the OPC Global Sci‑Tech Ecosystem High‑Potential Project Call and the Global Automotive Industry Innovation Influence Awards. The former aims to identify high‑quality global OPC projects and streamline cross‑border docking and market entry channels for innovative initiatives; the latter targets innovation within the automotive‑industry value‑chain, selecting benchmark innovators and further broadening the scope and depth of China‑Europe industrial cooperation.

Ma Fei, Founding Chairman of WFT and Executive Chairman of YSS, said in an exclusive interview with the UK Branch of European Times that WFT remains steadfast in its original aspiration of empowering pragmatic cross-border innovation cooperation, and is committed to building cooperative ties for two-way connectivity among global innovation partners. Bringing together industrial, investment and research communities from China, the UK and across the world, this forum serves not only as a venue for intellectual exchange but also as a starting point for deliverable collaboration. Going forward, we will continue to unlock critical overseas expansion channels covering technology, capital, market access and compliance, identify high-quality innovation projects, help more Chinese innovative enterprises enter the European market, and channel overseas innovation resources into China, so as to develop a long-term, stable and mutually beneficial global innovation ecosystem platform.

That evening, the Thames‑Side CEO Gala Dinner took place. Christopher Dottie MBE (Vice‑President of the British Chambers of Commerce), Baroness Manzila Uddin (Member of the House of Lords) and Professor Xiong Yu (Chair of WFT) were among the distinguished guests in attendance; Christopher Dottie MBE and Professor Xiong Yu delivered remarks at the dinner. Leveraging the relaxed gala atmosphere, the event created an intimate high‑level business‑dialogue space for political, business and academic delegates. Participants engaged in extensive in‑person discussions, explored potential cooperation prospects and further expanded cross‑border high‑end professional networks.

As a key cross‑border industrial platform under WFT, the summit held in June this year assembled more than 800 delegates from over 50 countries and regions worldwide. It facilitated over 40 statements of intent for cooperation with a projected value of tens of billions of RMB, yielding a portfolio of reference‑worthy overseas‑expansion success stories across commercial aerospace, AI computing power, intelligent equipment and consumer electronics.

Upholding a pragmatic, empowerment‑oriented philosophy, this forum delivered a suite of targeted matchmaking services. One‑on‑one pre‑scheduled business meetings were arranged, helping participating enterprises secure purchasing‑intent agreements with European buyers and local equipment distributors. European investment institutions, multinational industrial capital and China‑UK cross‑border industrial funds took part in closed‑door roadshows to match financing requirements of Chinese tech‑firms for overseas plant construction, channel expansion and technology R&D. Meanwhile, the forum set‑up a dedicated enterprise‑exhibition zone. Leading Chinese and international innovators including Beijing Dongfang Tongce Technology Co., Ltd, Wiiss Technology Co., Ltd, Jiangsu Jicui Intelligent Optoelectronic System Research Institute Co., Ltd, Tage iDriver Technology Co.,Ltd, AcouBatt and ZYMIX showcased cutting‑edge R&D outcomes spanning artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing and new‑energy sectors. Selected participating companies also visited leading British enterprises on‑site, laying solid groundwork for building local overseas business networks.

The forum drew wide‑spread attention from global media. Authorised outlets including Nouvelles d’Europe UK, Phoenix North America and PR Newswire provided full coverage via on‑site interviews, conference special editions, real‑time outcome briefings and in‑depth feature reports. Multi‑channel coverage showcased forum highlights, guest viewpoints and enterprises’ global‑expansion achievements, delivering international exposure and authoritative endorsement for participating sci‑tech organisations.

Participants widely acknowledged that cross‑border scientific‑technological innovation collaboration has grown increasingly vital amid profound shifts in the global industrial landscape. Rooted in London, the 2026 Global Industrial Innovation and Development Forum has built a bridge for two‑way China‑Europe sci‑tech exchange: enabling outstanding Chinese tech‑enterprises to access European markets, capital and research resources, while bringing European innovations to China’s vast consumer market. According to WFT organisers, going forward WFT will keep building an integrated cross‑border sci‑tech platform combining idea exchange, business matchmaking, implementation support and brand communication. It will continue to advance pragmatic industrial‑project delivery and work toward an open, inclusive and mutually‑beneficial global industrial‑innovation ecosystem.

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