SHANGHAI, China - September 3, 2026 - The Organizing Committee of the Inclusion Conference on the Bund announced that the 2026 edition will take place from September 9 to 12 at Huangpu World Expo Park in Shanghai, China.
The conference will center on “Building the AI Economy Together,” focusing on the critical leap of artificial intelligence from technological breakthroughs to real-world applications and value creation. This year, the conference will bring together 600 global scholars, scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators to explore how AI is reshaping industries, creating new business ecosystems, and transforming daily life.
The program will include one Main Forum, over 40 Insight Forums, a 15,000-square-meter technology exhibition hosting more than 300 global tech companies, plus an Innovators Stage, AI innovation competitions, a Developer Day, startup-investor meetups, and a tech talent job fair. Together, these programs will offer participants a broad view of how AI is changing industries, workplaces, and everyday life.
What to Expect: Conference Highlights
Pioneering the "New AI Economy"
The conference will raise a key question: How does AI drive real economic growth?
Multiple academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Engineering will share their insights into the future. Notably, Philippe Aghion, the 2025 Nobel Laureate in Economics, will explore the relationship between AI and economic growth through the lens of "creative destruction." Beyond theory, the conference will dive into practical discussions on industrial transformation, employment, education, green computing, and governance.
15,000 sqm of "AI with a Pulse"
This year, the conference will feature an expanded exhibition that brings AI into the real world.
Life After Hours: This will feature over 30 AI agents seamlessly integrating into people’s evening routines—ordering coffee, arranging housekeeping, or even scheduling pet vet visits via natural language interactions.
Healthcare for Everyone: Step into the "Future Home," "Future Rural Clinic," and "Future Hospital" — three model spaces where AI makes professional healthcare part of everyday life. Snap a photo of your meal and get a nutrition breakdown. Step on a smart scale and track your body composition. Ask a question after a workout and get tailored health advice — prevention starts at home. When a doctor's visit is needed, AI handles appointment booking, cloud-based hospital navigation, and lab report interpretation, cutting down queue times at major hospitals. Even elderly villagers in remote mountains who don't speak Mandarin can get answers from an AI assistant trained at the level of a top-tier hospital physician.
Robots That Actually Work: Over 40 robotics and embodied AI manufacturers will demonstrate robots doing real jobs in pharmacies, factories, logistics sorting, and inspections—not just running around, but solving industry bottlenecks.
Green Planet Zone: Discover how tech is driving ecological restoration, from desert control to ocean protection and green energy.
The Rise of Youth-Led Innovation & "One-Person Unicorns"
Guided by the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the conference will bring together three major competitions, including the Bund Hackathon AI Coding Competition, with over 10,000 participants, nearly 70% of whom are under the age of 18.
Beyond the competitions, nearly 120 tech startups and innovation projects will also be featured. Some are lean teams using AI to do what once required entire departments — product development, content production, market operations. Others were launched as global companies from day one.
Deepened International Collaboration
Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore — three of Asia-Pacific's leading financial and innovation hubs — are natural anchors for cross-border dialogue on the AI economy. For the second consecutive year, organizers of the region's flagship tech events will convene at Inclusion: Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), organizer of the Hong Kong FinTech Week, will host a forum on how fintech and innovation can empower Chinese companies going global. Singapore's Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), organizer of the Singapore FinTech Festival, will lead discussions on how AI is reshaping cross-border payments.
First-Ever AI Art Festival: When Sensibility Becomes a Productive Force
The 2026 Inclusion Conference on the Bund will debut an AI Art Festival, including highlights like an AI Concert featuring digital artist Yuri, indie folk band "The Landlord's Cat," a traditional Chinese orchestra, a children’s choir, and robots performing together. Plus, an AI Conceptual Art Exhibition and screenings of over 100 AI-generated films will showcase how machines are learning to feel and create.
About the Organizers
The organizing committee includes leading institutions such as Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, Zhejiang University, the University of Hong Kong, Shanghai United Media Group, Shanghai Bund Investment Group, and Ant Group. Their collective expertise ensures the continued success of this flagship global event.
About INCLUSION Conference on the Bund
The Inclusion Conference on the Bund, held in Shanghai, is a global platform where fintech and frontier technologies converge. It facilitates high-level dialogues among global leaders across technology, finance, and other industries, catalyzes transformative tech development in the age of AI, promotes best practices in the scientific innovation ecosystem, and inspires strategies for charting a path to innovative growth. For more details, visit the official website: inclusionconf.com.
Media Contact
Company Name: INCLUSION Conference on the Bund
Contact Person: Organizing Committee
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