The China International Technology Fair – CSITF is China’s only state-level technology trade fair, held each April in Shanghai. Organised under the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science & Technology, the 2024 edition will run from 17 to 20 April at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre. The fair is staged in-person, but a parallel digital platform streams selected forums and match-making sessions to global viewers. CSITF positions itself as a full-chain marketplace where research institutions, Fortune-500 industrial giants, small and mid-size tech firms, venture funds and government procurement officers meet to license, co-develop or commercialise innovations. The 2024 show is built around five sectoral clusters: Smart Manufacturing & Robotics, Low-Carbon & Energy Storage, Digital Information Technology, Biomedical & Healthcare Devices, and Integrated Circuits & AI Chips. Within these clusters more than 3,000 exhibitors from over thirty countries will occupy 45,000 m² of floor space; national pavilions are confirmed for Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Denmark and Malaysia. The organisers expect 120,000 professional visits, 70% of them director-level or above, with purchasing power exceeding USD 3 billion.

The conference programme features one opening summit and roughly eighty concurrent forums. The 2024 Global Tech Trade Summit on 17 April will gather Nobel laureate Konstantin Novoselov, former WIPO director Francis Gurry, Tesla vice-president Grace Liu, and Siemens China CEO Ralf Thomas to debate “Re-globalising Innovation Chains”. Parallel tracks focus on commercialising university patents, AI governance, green hydrogen financing, and cross-border data compliance. A dedicated “Tech Transfer Tinder” session allows start-ups to pitch to corporate venture units; last year 320 projects secured on-site term sheets totalling RMB 1.8 billion. Policy briefings by the Shanghai Lingang New Area and the Shenzhen Qianhai Authority will explain new tax incentives for foreign R&D centres. For the first time CSITF 2024 introduces an “Ethical Tech Zone” showcasing privacy-preserving AI, quantum-safe encryption and assistive robotics that meet China’s new safety accreditation. Visitors can also tour live demos of a 3,000-tonne hydrogen-powered forging press, sub-7-nm lithography prototypes, and AI-designed cancer vaccines. Registration is free-of-charge for trade visitors who pre-book online before 20 March; students and acad