Shanghai, UNESCO Agree to Launch Global Cities Innovation Alliance

Shanghai and UNESCO have agreed to launch a global alliance to promote cooperation on innovation among cities.

The agreement was announced September 12 at the opening ceremony of the Pujiang Innovation Forum, after the alliance was proposed at the Global Innovative Cities Forum in Shanghai the previous day.

The September 11 event brought together representatives of innovative cities and regions from around the world to share experience and explore closer cooperation.

Participants adopted the "Shanghai Statement of Global Innovative Cities Forum," which called for the establishment of the Global Innovative Cities Alliance.

Held under the theme "Global Collaboration · Open Innovation · Shape the Future of Our Cities," the forum focused on the proposed alliance's vision, areas of cooperation and ways for cities to work together.

The alliance is intended to support the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals by promoting practical cooperation among cities.

At the September 11 forum, Zhang Guangjun, China's vice minister of science and technology, said science and technology are key drivers of urban growth and that innovation will shape cities' future development.

China is continuing to strengthen its regional innovation system, including by developing international science and technology innovation hubs in Beijing, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Shanghai, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, Zhang said.

China was home to 25 innovation clusters listed in the World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index 2026, the most of any country for the fourth consecutive year, according to WIPO.

Zhang called for closer cooperation with UNESCO on global science and technology governance. He also urged cities to work together on shared priorities such as green and low-carbon development, smart cities and artificial intelligence, and to develop projects with tangible benefits.

Shanghai will draw on its experience in megacity governance, open research infrastructure, innovation networks and institutional resources to support the alliance, said Zhao Quan, director of the Division of Science and Technology Cooperation at the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission.

Shanghai Vice Mayor Chen Jie said rapid advances in artificial intelligence, quantum information, biotechnology and clean energy are reshaping cities, as new technologies increasingly shape communities and everyday life.

Shanghai will work with innovative cities around the world to turn cooperation into concrete projects, Chen said. Areas of focus will include smart-city development, sustainable urban planning, digital governance and urban resilience, as well as sharing innovation resources, conducting joint research and accelerating the application of new technologies.

Hu Shaofeng, director of the Division of Ethics, Science and Technology at UNESCO's Natural Sciences Sector, said cities are not simply beneficiaries of innovation but also important drivers of it.

Innovative cities should create opportunities for all and ensure that innovation contributes to sustainable and inclusive development, he said. The proposed alliance is expected to provide a platform for cities to share knowledge, build capacity and develop sustainable innovation solutions, with particular attention to the needs of cities in the Global South.

The aim, Hu said, is to ensure that no city or community is left behind in the pursuit of sustainable development.

Representatives from Hungary, the United States, Brazil, Germany, Spain, South Korea and the Netherlands also shared their experiences in urban innovation during keynote sessions and panel discussions.