Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

CHINA Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., the nation’s leading space contractor, will unveil its commercial space tourism program to the world at the 27th China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), which will run from Nov. 14 to 16 in Shenzhen, the fair’s organizers announced at a press conference yesterday.

The highly anticipated reveal will be a centerpiece of the fair, which will occupy 400,000 sqm of space at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Bao’an District. The event is expected to draw over 450,000 visits.

This year’s fair will feature 22 specialized exhibition zones. Prominent areas include key national devices, artificial intelligence (AI) & robotics, semiconductors & integrated circuits, consumer electronics, and the low-altitude economy & commercial aerospace sector.

Organizers anticipate nearly 5,000 exhibitors, with over 90% of displays being physical products. More than 60 launch events and roadshows are scheduled, with debut exhibits accounting for over 20% of all displays.

Internationally, more than 30 countries and regions, including Russia, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and Pakistan, will also be in attendance.

A major operational shift for this year’s fair is an enhanced focus on facilitating deals. International buyers comprise 10% of the procurement delegation, with domestic buyers from within and outside Guangdong Province making up the remaining 30% and 60%, respectively.

To directly support this “pro-transaction” approach, the fair will debut an international investment negotiation zone and an international buyer matching zone. These areas will host major financial institutions and corporations, including Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital, IDG Capital, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, that are seeking investment opportunities and partnerships.

Total transaction value is expected to reach a new high, as leading global firms like General Electric, Microsoft, ABB, and South Korea’s KAKAO have been invited to source products and find partners.

The fair will also feature over 200 supporting events, including professional forums, product launches, and procurement meetings. Dozens of academicians, alongside industry leaders and experts, will lead discussions on frontier fields like commercial aerospace, AI, and embodied AI.

The annual CHTF, which started in 1999, is the largest and the most influential science and technology fair in China.