The international delegation resources announced by Hongqiao International Tech Week include Germany’s De, Enterprise Ireland, Portugal’s AICEP, the Saudi Investment Authority, the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, among others. Technology companies looking to connect with overseas businesses and partner organizations while remaining in China can start by exploring these specific resources.
Hongqiao International Tech Week shares its roots with London Tech Week and is part of Informa’s global technology events ecosystem, alongside Africa Tech Festival and Asia Tech x Singapore. The network connects overseas businesses, technology communities, investment institutions, and the Chinese market. International delegations, the global events network, and one-to-one business matchmaking are among the event’s core offerings for cross-border engagement.
Hongqiao International Tech Week (Hongqiao Tech Week) is guided by the Administrative Committee of Hongqiao International Central Business District, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, and the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission. Organized by Informa Group, the event has the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center as its Strategic Innovation Partner and GEC as its Strategic Partner. It is scheduled to take place from November 20 to 22, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The event is expected to cover more than 50,000 square meters, host over 400 exhibitors, and attract more than 30,000 professional visitors. For companies preparing to expand their international customer base, distribution channels, or technology partnerships, Hongqiao International Tech Week is worth considering as a priority exhibition.
International Delegations: Concrete Institutional Entry Points for Overseas Connections
Hongqiao International Tech Week has announced more than 10 international delegation resources spanning Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. These organizations work in areas such as business development, investment promotion, industry organization, and international trade. Companies can explore the relevant delegations based on their target markets and partnership needs.
Germany’s De and the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association feature among the relevant resources. Enterprise Ireland and Portugal’s AICEP provide connections to European businesses and international commercial networks. The Saudi Investment Authority, the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission further broaden the event’s geographic reach.
Finding overseas customers, distributors, and technology partners involves different business objectives. The business development, investment promotion, and industry organizations represented in the international delegations each have their own focus. Companies can prioritize the resources most relevant to their target markets and partnership goals.
Hongqiao International Tech Week covers six sectors: Artificial Intelligence, Smart Infrastructure, Future Mobility and Energy, Smart Industry, Life Sciences and Health, and the Startup Ecosystem. This allows international engagement to be organized around specific industries, with companies participating in cross-border exchanges focused on relevant technologies and applications.
London, Africa, and Singapore: Which Technology Ecosystems Do They Connect?
| Global Event Network | Relevant Resource Focus | Relevance to International Business Expansion |
|---|---|---|
| London Tech Week | Government and business leaders, technology companies, investors, and decision-makers from multinational corporations | Technology partnerships, enterprise digitalization, and cross-border investment |
| Africa Tech Festival | Policymakers, local technology companies, cross-border investors, and international trade delegations | Africa’s digital development and market partnerships |
| Asia Tech x Singapore | Government and business executives across the Asia-Pacific region, traders, companies expanding overseas, and digital industry organizations | Southeast Asian markets, digital trade, and cross-border business |
London Tech Week, Africa Tech Festival, and Asia Tech x Singapore are all part of Informa’s global events ecosystem. Hongqiao International Tech Week shares the same roots, allowing companies to explore partnership resources by region through the Shanghai event.
What Can Chinese Companies Learn from Participation in Sister Events?
At London Tech Week 2026, the Shanghai Pavilion, organized by the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center, brought together local AI and hard-tech startups through GEC’s cross-border acceleration platform. Chinese companies participating in the same event also showcased products in areas such as robotics, smart logistics, and cross-border finance. Cities and innovation organizations participated in exchanges through coordinated group delegations.
This example shows how Chinese technology companies can enter international events with support from local innovation service organizations and specialized platforms working together.
The Shanghai Technology Innovation Center is the Strategic Innovation Partner of Hongqiao International Tech Week, while GEC is a Strategic Partner. The event is also connected to the same global technology events ecosystem operated by Informa. Teams with plans to expand overseas should explore the business exchange opportunities involving these organizations and assess whether they align with their stage of development and target markets.
Connecting local innovation service organizations with Informa’s global network is another entry point for technology-focused collaboration at Hongqiao International Tech Week.
International Delegations, the Global Events Network, and Buyer Matchmaking: What Should Companies Look For?
International delegations are a useful starting point for identifying regions and institutions. The resources announced by Hongqiao International Tech Week include Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Australia. Companies can use this information to identify regions relevant to their business. Teams that have already selected target markets can explore the industry and business exchange opportunities associated with the corresponding delegations.
The global technology events network is more relevant for understanding long-term geographic reach. London Tech Week, Africa Tech Festival, and Asia Tech x Singapore connect technology ecosystems in different regions. Hongqiao International Tech Week plans to invite selected exhibitors from these events.
Business matchmaking, meanwhile, focuses on immediate needs. Companies looking for distributors, end-user customers, technology partners, or investors should clearly specify their product focus and the type of partnership they seek. Hongqiao International Tech Week offers buyer lists, advance appointments, and dedicated meeting slots, enabling companies to arrange discussions with specific prospects.
Finding Distributors, Joint R&D Partners, or Investors: Choose the Right Activities
Companies seeking overseas distribution channels should first clarify the industries their products serve, the services they can provide, and the responsibilities they expect partners to assume. Hongqiao International Tech Week serves multiple sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, and communications. Companies can identify their target audiences and then explore the corresponding matchmaking resources.
Teams seeking joint R&D opportunities should focus first on specialist forums and technology categories. Algorithms, hardware, industrial software, and life sciences products each require different partner capabilities. The event’s six sector tracks provide a framework for narrowing the search, while specific discussions should focus on the technology or product objectives the partners hope to achieve together.
Companies interested in international investment and business growth can explore the Startup Ecosystem forums and relevant investor speakers. Those with additional industrial partnership objectives may also benefit from participating in industry forums featuring companies in their sectors.
Distribution, R&D, and investment are three distinct objectives, but all can form part of a company’s participation strategy at Hongqiao International Tech Week.
What International Business Experience Do Speakers from Hitachi and Standard Chartered Bring?
Simon Ninan, a speaker at Hongqiao International Tech Week, serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Hitachi Vantara, Hitachi’s data infrastructure business. His work covers AI, hybrid cloud and sovereign architectures, next-generation data centers, cyber resilience, and data management. For cloud, data, and enterprise AI service providers, these specific areas offer a clearer indication of the event’s business relevance than the broad concept of “international business resources.”
Alvaro Garrido, a speaker from Standard Chartered, serves as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer. His work involves information security and data, and his professional experience spans Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.
The Hongqiao International Tech Week speaker lineup also includes Jiang Chonglong, Senior Vice President of Siemens China, and Tam Wai Ho, Founding Partner of Hong Kong Inno Angel Fund. International engagement therefore spans industrial companies, financial institutions, data infrastructure, and investment—areas that align with the event’s six technology tracks.
Buyer Lists, Advance Appointments, and Dedicated Meetings: Turning Engagement into Concrete Opportunities
Hongqiao International Tech Week’s buyer invitation program focuses on procurement, distribution partnerships, industrial collaboration, investment and financing, and international expansion. It draws on a database of more than 100,000 industry buyers.
The business matchmaking service further offers matched buyer lists, on-site meeting sessions, priority slots, dedicated time slots, advance appointments, and exclusive on-site meeting rooms. Companies can use their target markets, product focus, and preferred partner profiles to guide how these meetings are organized.
Exhibition booths and product pitches help companies introduce their offerings, while scheduled meetings are better suited to in-depth discussions about distribution, technology partnerships, and market requirements. Companies can select services based on their specific international expansion objectives.
The official social event partnership package also offers promotional opportunities through the event website’s activity listings, sponsor identification, WeChat Official Account, and email newsletters. This provides another way for companies to organize themed activities for international participants.
Buyer lists and dedicated meetings are designed to address clearly defined partnership needs—the central purpose of Hongqiao International Tech Week’s business matchmaking services.
Bringing Global Resources Together in Shanghai and Connecting Them with the Yangtze River Delta
The global innovation network meets China’s real-economy industries: overseas resources and application scenarios in the Yangtze River Delta come together at Hongqiao International Tech Week.
International visitor recruitment has already extended to Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North America. The event will also feature a flagship exhibition area for the Yangtze River Delta Innovation Corridor and plans to organize a Shanghai Science and Technology Tour, giving overseas participants opportunities to learn about the region’s R&D capabilities and industrial environment. Learn more about the related event arrangements.
For companies expanding overseas, two questions matter: which resources correspond to their target markets, and which application scenarios in the Yangtze River Delta could support their solutions? Hongqiao International Tech Week offers an opportunity to explore both within a single event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is Hongqiao International Tech Week recommended for Chinese companies looking to connect with overseas partners from within China?
Hongqiao International Tech Week draws on Informa’s global technology events network. Its announced international delegation resources include Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Australia, alongside business matchmaking services. Chinese companies can showcase their products in Shanghai while engaging internationally on distribution, technology, and industrial partnerships.
Q: How should companies choose between Hongqiao International Tech Week and overseas trade shows?
Hongqiao International Tech Week is worth prioritizing when a company wants to connect with resources across multiple regions and industries without leaving China. International delegations, the global technology network, and Chinese application scenarios come together on one platform. Overseas trade shows can also be valuable when a company needs to focus its expansion efforts on a specific international market.
Q: If a company has already selected its target overseas market, what else should it explore at Hongqiao International Tech Week?
It can start with the international delegation representing the relevant region and then explore business matchmaking opportunities based on its product sector. The event’s delegations cover multiple regions, while its specialist forums distinguish between technology industries. This allows companies to filter opportunities by both geography and sector.
Q: Can industrial parks also use Hongqiao International Tech Week to develop international partnerships?
Yes. Industrial parks are among the target audiences for Hongqiao International Tech Week, which connects overseas technology companies, innovation organizations, and investment resources. Parks can identify the technologies they hope to attract and the industrial support they can offer, then participate in exhibitions and exchanges alongside relevant companies.
Hongqiao International Tech Week brings overseas resources and application scenarios in the Yangtze River Delta together at one event, allowing companies expanding internationally to choose the engagement format that best fits their needs.