Zhongguancun Forum broadens its influence

The 2021 Zhongguancun Forum will increase its size and influence by introducing top institutions and experts to join the discussion and displaying cutting-edge technological achievements, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

The theme of this year's forum is "Intelligence, Health, Carbon Neutrality", Li Meng, vice-minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, told a news conference.

The 2021 Zhongguancun Forum, which has a history of 14 years, will be held from Sept 24 to 28 at Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing.

"The focus of the forum is cooperation and communication of international science and technology," Li said. "It is expected to contribute to a shared future for mankind."

The event will include conferences, technology transactions, exhibitions and other activities.

"Beijing aims to develop Zhongguancun Forum into a national platform for global communication and cooperation on science and technology innovation," said Jin Wei, vice-mayor of the city.

"During the forum, the world's top scientists, Nobel Prize winners, Turing Award winners and Fields Medal winners, representatives of scientific research and academic institutions, leaders of international organizations, entrepreneurs and investors will discuss topics such as the digital economy, life and health, clean energy and sustainable development."

In addition, more than 500 companies from around the world will showcase their latest developments, he added.

More than 400 foreign participants from around 40 countries and regions will attend the forum and deliver speeches, enlarging the forum's international influence.

Zheng Haojun, director of the science and technology communication center at the China Association for Science and Technology, said the association had invited Linux Foundation and OpenAtom Foundation to join the forum. The president of the International Science Council, Daya Reddy, has been invited to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony.

Huang Xiangyang, an official at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in charge of coordinating the forum, said that as one of the organizers, the academy has focused on the themes of health and carbon neutrality and plans to hold parallel forums to discuss related topics.

The academy will also discuss the new model of international scientific and technological cooperation under the new situation, exchanging scientific insights with domestic and foreign experts.

Feng Xiaojie contributed to this story.