The 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference will take place from October 21 to 23 at the Beijing Yizhuang North Ren Yichuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, organizers said at a press conference in Beijing on September 28. The event is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Transport and the Beijing municipal government, according to First Electric (D1EV).
Conference agenda and themes
Under the theme "Gathering Wisdom, Connecting Unlimited - Steadily Advancing into the Era of Autonomous Driving," the conference will feature three plenary sessions, six thematic forums and six side events. The plenary sessions include an opening ceremony, a general assembly and a closing ceremony, with speakers from global governments, international organizations, research institutions and leading industry companies.
Three special activities will run alongside the main sessions: an international cooperation roundtable on the auto industry, a Sino-German forum on intelligent connected vehicles, and a Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regional industrial collaboration forum. The six thematic forums will cover policy and regulation, standards, key technologies, application ecosystems, connected vehicle coordination and digital transformation.
Six side events will focus on vehicle-to-everything communication technology, automotive brand globalization, automotive chip ecosystems, autonomous driving testing and validation, artificial intelligence industry empowerment, and multi-scenario autonomous driving applications. The conference will also host the China International New Energy and Intelligent Connected Vehicles Exhibition, featuring L3 autonomous driving experiences, digital factory tours, a "dual-intelligence" city carnival and educational activities for schools.
Beijing Yizhuang's autonomous driving push
Yi Yuanjia, deputy director of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) administrative committee, said the Yizhuang New Town contributes nearly 40 percent of the city's industrial added value on just 1.37 percent of Beijing's land, with auto industry output value exceeding 60 percent of the city's total. The area has attracted three major vehicle manufacturers and nearly 100 domestic and international parts suppliers, with more than 140 upstream and downstream companies linked to the intelligent connected vehicle sector.
More than 1,500 test vehicles from over 40 companies are operating in the demonstration zone, with autonomous driving safety testing mileage exceeding 65 million kilometers (about 40.4 million miles). Eight application scenarios, including unmanned shuttles, delivery, sanitation and long-haul logistics, are running on a regular basis. During the conference, organizers will showcase L4 autonomous driving experiences.
Policy support and international cooperation
Hao Lishun, deputy director of the Equipment Industry Department No. 1 at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the ministry has drafted a "15th Five-Year Plan" for the intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry, aiming to build global supply chains, improve overseas service capabilities and support foreign investment in China. The ministry will push for closer supply chain cooperation, deeper international alignment on standards through bodies such as the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) and the International Organization for Standardization, and more stable overseas expansion for Chinese companies.
Weng Youling, deputy director of the Science and Technology Department at the Ministry of Transport, said the ministry has launched an "AI + Transportation" innovation action, receiving more than 100 intelligent driving project applications covering highways, ports and mining areas, with companies leading about 70 percent of them. The ministry is also accelerating the deployment of heavy-duty truck intelligent driving projects and upgrading roadside infrastructure with sensors, communication networks and edge computing facilities.
International guests are expected to account for nearly 50 percent of attendees, reflecting the conference's growing global reach, organizers said.
