Dalian Hosts 2026 World Economic Forum New Champions Summer Davos

From June 23‑25, 2026, Dalian, China, held the 17th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions, commonly known as the Summer Davos Forum. The three‑day event attracted more than 1,700 participants from over 90 countries, making it the largest edition to date. Organized under the theme “Innovation at Scale,” the summit examined how rapid technological change can support new growth models and economic resilience. Dalian showcased its transition from a traditional industrial city to a hub for advanced manufacturing, digitalisation, hydrogen technology and low‑carbon initiatives, deploying new‑energy vehicles for transport and upgrading its 5G communications infrastructure for the conference.

During the forum, Lan Tu automotive chairman and party secretary Lu Fang explained how the company monitors social‑media feedback on its products. He cited a recent user post about the safety‑belt wire on the Lan Tu Zhiyin model, noting that while the design meets European and Chinese regulations, the company will forward the comment to R&D for possible improvement. Lu also mentioned a user‑driven vote that led to the development of a “sentinel” function and a new winter‑mode feature, and he warned that rising raw‑material costs make vehicle price cuts unlikely.

The conference highlighted Dalian’s role in China’s broader industrial upgrading and energy‑transition strategies, with discussions on catalyst technologies, high‑performance bearings, industrial software and advanced manufacturing.