What does the CSITF rely on to keep making waves

Both technology and its trade ecosystem: equal commitment, solid results

"Back in the day, buying technology was like fitting wheels onto a car — you bought them and bolted them on. But technology trade today is far more complex. Beyond the right technical fit, you need trust-based partnerships and cultural alignment." In Shanghai, Alex Harvie, Head of Partnership Marketing at Glasgow City Council, found plenty of the "partners" he was looking for.

Last year, Glasgow secured over 20 successful collaborations at the China (Shanghai) International Technology Import and Export Fair (CSITF), ranging from co-building overseas engineering institutes to sci-tech fund partnerships — far exceeding expectations. This year, Glasgow didn't come alone; it brought four other UK cities, including Edinburgh, to join the fair and share in a trusted tech-trade "circle of friends."

The 12th CSITF, held from June 11 to 13, brought together innovations from 22 countries and regions worldwide and 24 provinces and districts across China. The number of exhibitors surpassed 1,000 for the first time, including 238 high-tech, "specialized and sophisticated" SMEs, and gazelle enterprises. There were 40 global or national debuts, and the number of intended project deals exceeded 600 for the first time.

From gathering "hard-core" scientific and technological achievements and deepening cross-provincial and cross-border cooperation, to precisely matching technology supply and demand and expanding the tech-trade ecosystem — covering IP, fintech, investment incubation, and more — the CSITF's "multiplier effect" on the economy continues to ripple outward and accelerate.

Charting the Trajectory of New Quality Productive Forces in Motion

"I took a walk through the exhibition halls and noticed that there were a great many 'dexterous hand' technology achievements on display this year." Pan Xi, Chairman of the National Intellectual Property Operation (Shanghai) International Service Platform, has long been intrigued by Elon Musk's "octopus-foot theory." At this year's CSITF, Pan sees signs of an impending boom in "dexterous hand" patent outcomes.

"Many state-owned, central, and private enterprises from Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and elsewhere showcased their dexterous hand technologies, and they revealed that high-quality patents have already been formed across technical routes such as direct motor drive, linkage transmission, and tendon-driven actuation — these are well worth exploring and commercializing," Pan said. Since the end of last year, his platform has also listed dexterous hand technology as a key focus area for patent early-warning analysis and venture capital investment. The Yangtze River Delta High-Value Patent Operation Competition may launch a dedicated "dexterous hand" sub-category under the AI track to boost the cultivation, portfolio-building, and application of high-value patents.

At the booth of Shanghai Sazhi Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., a robot equipped with six mechanical arms dipped a brush in ink and wrote a couplet, then ceremoniously stamped its seal. The six arms worked flexibly within a capsule-like spherical workspace, coordinating in multiple directions, seamlessly chaining processes with zero collisions and zero idle time.

"This is our globally launched MAHAKBOT 'Six-Arm Xuanjia' embodied intelligent robot, marking a major leap from 'spatially isomorphic operations' to 'spatially heterogeneous operations'," said Zhang Jianzheng, Chairman and CEO of Sazhi. In complex industrial scenarios with intricate processes, tight rhythms, and stringent cycle times, this six-arm robot can complete all the tasks — grasping, assembly, screwing, inspection, and transfer — that would otherwise require multiple fixed stations on a production line, with a target accuracy of 99.9%. By the close of the fair, the series had received nearly 300 intended orders. Sazhi's full line of mobile manipulation robots is rapidly entering the global factories of international giants.

Amid the exhibition buzz, a booth where visitors could order coffee by thought alone became a popular check-in spot. At Beijing Jixieji Technology Co., Ltd.'s booth, participants wearing the company's X-BCI brain-computer interface device could focus their thoughts to choose their drink — Americano or latte? Hot or cold? Within seconds, the device transmitted the collected brainwave signals to an AI algorithm for decoding, and the results were fed back to the ordering terminal.

"Beyond thought-controlled self-ordering, the X-BCI device has already been deployed in scenarios such as brainwave-detection smart cockpits and robotic emotion interaction," a booth representative told reporters. "From the hardware and dataset collection to the AI algorithm models, Jixieji has achieved full-stack independent R&D in brain-computer interface technology. We are now systematically organizing our various technological achievements to advance patent portfolio building and technology protection."

The technological achievements showcased at this year's CSITF span the entire chain — from basic research to mass consumer applications, public health, and future-oriented deployment — demonstrating a shift from "single-point breakthroughs" to "systematic source innovation." With a host of "world debuts" and "China firsts," the fair vividly maps out the accelerating trajectory of new quality productive forces.

Making Tech-Trade an "Ecosystem-Wide Endeavor"

This year, the banks of the Huangpu River finally connected to the foot of Mount Everest. Tibet participated in the CSITF for the first time, with Shigatse City leading a delegation.

Highlights included: the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences building a 40-meter radio telescope in Shigatse to support lunar exploration and deep-space missions; a digital smart-manufacturing project for the national intangible cultural heritage of Zhamnyen (Tibetan lute) craftsmanship to boost Shigatse's output and income; smooth progress on agricultural and pastoral projects such as high-value utilization of sand-fixing sophora resources and the full-chain processing of highland barley; AI-integrated container plant factories to strengthen border livelihood security; and new-energy special vehicles to expand border trade applications. These representative achievements of Shanghai's aid to Tibet were showcased together, laying a solid foundation for regular, precision-driven tech-trade empowerment and cooperation between the two regions.

To further address pain points such as information asymmetry between companies and markets, difficulties in commercializing R&D outcomes, and weak supporting service systems, the CSITF also saw the launch of two Shanghai-Tibet cooperation platforms: the Shanghai-Tibet Technology Trading and Achievement Transfer Center, and the Shigatse Technology Trade and Foreign Trade Public Information Service Platform. These systematically integrate services like policy interpretation, information sharing, technology matching, and IP commercialization, propelling sci-tech collaboration between the two regions into a new phase.

Cooperation like that between Shanghai and Tibet powerfully confirms that technological inspiration, R&D innovation, and market circulation can no longer rely on "going it alone" — it is "an ecosystem-wide endeavor."

Now in its 12th year, the CSITF has honed a comprehensive tech-trade ecosystem encompassing concept validation, IP protection and utilization, investment incubation, fintech, talent services, legal support, and more. It not only gives high-quality technological outcomes a "stage to shine" but also provides the "back-end support" to transform them into real productive forces. This support is becoming increasingly comprehensive and finely tuned.

Shanghai Kemayuan Technology Development Co., Ltd. is a firm that provides concept validation services for technology application scenarios. At this year's CSITF, it showcased a photovoltaic installation robot project: the R&D side had developed a 3D vision technology but was unsure which industry scenario would offer the best prospects. Kemayuan assisted in validating the concept by testing the technology in PV module installation, agriculture, and low-altitude economy applications — all of which received positive feedback.

"When it comes to technology transfer, our first job is to act as 'translators' between researchers and the market — turning the technical language of the lab into real-world, tangible business language that can be seen and understood," said Xu Rong, founder of Kemayuan.

During this year's CSITF, the "CSITF IP" zone provided diverse services including IP search and consultation, expedited patent examination consultations, dispute mediation, and commercialization support. The "Tech Transfer Shanghai" zone showcased a capability list of Shanghai's concept validation service platforms and a vertical "AI Tech Manager" large language model, helping technology application needs quickly find the right support. Nearly 200 tech managers were on-site "scouting" and "bridging." Models like "patent banks" and "patent trusteeship" supported innovation outcomes from a group of "post-2010" makers, helping them move from "making it work" to "making it useful."

Why has the CSITF become such a vital piece of Shanghai's drive to build a globally influential sci-tech innovation center? The answer lies in the fierce collision of innovative ideas on the show floor, in the curators' keen insights into cutting-edge technology trends, and in the steadfast commitment to advancing both technology and the tech-trade ecosystem — with equal emphasis and equal rigor.