International Cooperation and Development Matchmaking Conference on Intelligent Manufacturing Held in Hefei to Boost High-Quality Industrial Development

On the afternoon of September 20, the International Cooperation and Development Matchmaking Conference on Intelligent Manufacturing—one of the key events of the 2025 World Manufacturing Convention—was held at the Sheraton Hefei Ligan Hotel. With the theme of International Cooperation in Intelligent Manufacturing for High-Quality Industrial Development, the conference aims to facilitate international cooperation and the high-quality development of the intelligent manufacturing industry.

Speech by Christian Wulff, Honorary Chairman of the Global Alliance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Photo by the Conference Organizing Committee

Jointly hosted by the Global Alliance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (GASME, established in the United States in 1999, with dual special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and a representative office in Anhui Province) and the Anhui Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the conference focused on topics such as R&D innovation and application implementation of intelligent manufacturing. It invited representatives from governments, enterprises, academic institutions, and business associations to exchange ideas and explore cooperation opportunities.

Sun Hongmei, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee and Director of the Organization Department of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee, attended the conference and delivered a speech, extending a welcome to the guests and congratulating them on the convening of the event. Christian Wulff, Former President of Germany and Honorary Chairman of the Global Alliance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, and Jochen Leonhardt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of Germany, respectively delivered speeches and expressed their best wishes. During the investment promotion session, Karim Zidane, Minister of Investment, Public Policy Coordination and Evaluation of the Moroccan Government, and Yuan Fang, Secretary of the CPC Maanshan Municipal Committee, introduced the investment environment and manufacturing development of their respective countries and cities.

Event Site

Photo by the Conference Organizing Committee

In the guest speech session, He Weiwen, Publicity Expert of the State Council Information Office, and Cao Fang, China Affairs Consultant to Christian Wulff, shared insights on intelligent manufacturing. It is noted that China has achieved remarkable results in the field of intelligent manufacturing. In August 2025, the State Council released the Opinions on Further Implementing the "AI+" Initiative, which clearly set forth quantified targets. As of September this year, smart factories have covered over 30 industries. However, the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises remains a challenge, and it was also a key topic of this conference.

The conference also included an award ceremony. Christian Wulff awarded Maanshan a plaque as Recommended Foreign Investment Destination by the Global Alliance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, while Maanshan awarded the Alliance a plaque as Global Investment Promotion Partner. A number of cooperation agreements were also signed on site.

(Text by Wei Hanbing)