Energy Conservation Awareness Week Highlights Low-Carbon, Green Projects, Digital Technologies

The 2026 Minhang District Energy Conservation Awareness Week was launched on June 15. The campaign mobilized a number of towns, subdistricts, Xinzhuang Industry Park and various industrial parks across the district, with a diverse range of energy conservation awareness activities staged.

The Minhang District Data Bureau and Xinzhuang Industry Park have jointly launched the Xinzhuang Industrial Park Integrated Energy and Carbon Management System. Leveraging digital technologies, the system enables precise, end-to-end management of energy and carbon emissions, marking a significant new step forward for Minhang in the development of zero-carbon industrial parks and the coordinated management of energy and carbon.

From 2021 to 2026, the industrial output value at Xinzhuang Industry Park achieved positive growth while gains in energy consumption remain modest, and energy efficiency continues to improve.

To date, the park has fostered 12 national-level green factories, 21 municipal-level green factories and two zero-carbon factories, as well as one national-level green supply chain management enterprise and eight municipal-level green supply chain management enterprises, according to a park representative.

A number of zero-carbon factories, green factories and best practices of green supply chains for 2025 were announced, receiving accolades at the launch event.

Minhang will provide further targeted support to help enterprises carry out energy-saving upgrading and restructuring, pursue green technological innovation and implement low-carbon projects, while widely promoting the concepts of energy conservation and carbon reduction to foster an atmosphere within the park that encourages green production, low-carbon working practices and energy efficiency, officials said.

AI industrial training

The International Training Program on Industrial AI Application for Belt and Road Countries kicked off on June 22.

Guided by the China Science and Technology Exchange Center and organized by the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, the program brought together experts in the field of artificial intelligence from 10 Belt and Road countries–including Asian, African and European nations. They gathered at the "Grand NeoBay" for a 15-day program of technical training and academic exchange.

The program is expected to deepen practical cooperation between countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative in the fields of scientific and technological innovation and talent development, promote the formation of a new framework for digital cooperation characterized by mutual learning and shared development, and contribute wisdom and efforts to the global industry's sustainable development.

Fakhriddin Khakimov, Chief Expert on AI Technology Development at the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, stated that China has accumulated a wealth of experience in the application of AI. In particular, Shanghai is at the forefront in terms of the deep integration of technological research and development, industrial implementation, talent development and the creation of an innovation ecosystem, he noted.

The program delegation also visited the exhibition hall of the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, where they learnt about the achievements made by the institute, as well as the series of innovative practices in areas such as industrial collaboration in AI, think tank research, ecosystem development, international expansion and business incubation.

Special equipment meet

The 2026 Special Equipment Safety Conference was held at Minhang's Grand NeoBay Science and Technology Innovation Hall.

The "Bluepaper on the Development of China's Special Equipment Inspection and Testing Industry" was officially launched at the conference.

China is the world's largest producer and user of special equipment. By the end of 2025, the total number of special equipment units was estimated at more than 24 million (excluding pressure pipelines and gas cylinders), with an average annual growth rate at over 8 percent. The scope of application has expanded from traditional industries such as petrochemicals, power generation and metallurgy to emerging and future industries, including new energy, hydrogen energy, aerospace and future space.

Market regulation authorities from Shanghai as well as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces signed the 15th Five-Year Plan Framework Agreement on Integrated Cooperation for the Safety Supervision of Special Equipment in the Yangtze River Delta region during the conference, and established a long-term cross-provincial collaborative regulatory mechanism.

Several key enterprises from Minhang showcased their digital security solutions, demonstrating the district's industrial and scientific innovation capabilities.

Entrepreneurship contest

The Final Competition of the Shanghai Qualifying Round of the Shanghai Entrepreneurship Competition was held on June 30 in Huacao Town.

Launched by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, it was held under the theme "Unleashing the Potential of Entrepreneurship: Realizing Dreams and Leading a Fulfilling Life," and aims to further promote the deep integration of entrepreneurship with technological innovation, industrial upgrading, public services and skills development.

Representatives of a total of 75 outstanding start-up projects from the city's 16 districts gathered at the Loop Center in the Hongqiao Qianwan area, which is at the core of the Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District.

They competed against one another during the final round, showcasing the latest achievements and vibrant dynamism of Shanghai's innovation and entrepreneurship sector.

Since its launch in April, the competition received a total of 3,848 start-up projects, with the number of entries reaching a record high.

Following preliminary rounds in each district and municipal semifinals, 75 projects ultimately made it to the city-level final round.

The projects covered a range of cutting-edge fields, including advanced equipment, artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, green energy and aerospace information.