On September 28th, the Press Conference for the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference (WICV 2026) was held in Beijing. Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Transport (MOT), and relevant authorities in Beijing attended the press conference, gave an overview of preparations for WICV 2026, and answered questions from the media.

WICV 2026, co-hosted by the MIIT, the MOT, and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, is scheduled to take place from October 21st to 23rd at the Beiren Etrong International Exhibition & Convention Center, Beijing E-Town. With the theme “Pooling Wisdom, Boundless Connectivity: Advancing Steadily Towards a New Era of Automated Driving”, this year’s conference aims to serve as a high-level exchange platform for policy coordination, collaborative technological innovation, industrial integration, and international cooperation.

First, focusing on major trends in industrial development, the conference will feature three plenary meetings (the Opening Ceremony, Plenary Session, and Closing Ceremony), and three special sessions (the Automotive Industry International Cooperation Roundtable, Sino-German Industrial Forum on ICV Cooperation, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Industrial Coordinated Development Forum). These events will deepen cross-border cooperation, cross-sector collaboration, and regional coordination.

Second, with a focus on key core areas, the conference will organize six thematic forums on policy and regulation, standard and specification, key technology, application ecosystem, connected collaboration, and digital and intelligent transformation. These forums will be arranged as full-day or half-day sessions depending on the scope and depth of their respective topics, industry interest, and participants’ needs, with ample time set aside for exchanges and networking.

Third, six concurrent side events will be held on cutting-edge and specialized fields, including vehicular communication systems, globalization of automotive brands, automotive chip ecosystem, automated driving testing and validation, AI-enabled industrial development, and automated driving applications across multiple scenarios, further improving the overall framework of exchange events.

Fourth, centered on an immersive experience ecosystem, the conference will organize multiple supporting events, including IEEVChina, digital factory tours, Level 3 automated driving experience, Smart City Infrastructure and ICV Carnival, science popularization and exchange activities for primary and secondary school students, and automotive cultural and creative market. Together, these events will create a diverse, immersive ecosystem for industry exchange and experiences.

Since its inception in 2018, WICV has been successfully held for eight consecutive editions and has grown into an important platform for the global automotive industry to drive technological innovation, promote international exchange, showcase achievements, and build consensus. WICV 2026 will continue to serve as a bridge for policy coordination, a hub for technology sharing and industrial matchmaking, and a platform for international cooperation. It will bring together industry stakeholders from China and abroad to pursue mutual benefit and open up new prospects for innovative, green, and steady development of the global intelligent connected NEV industry.