AWE 2026 Opens: Focusing on AI Technology, Over 1,200 Leading Domestic and International Companies Exhibit

Overview

AWE — the Appliance & Electronics World Expo — opened with a clear message: artificial intelligence is front and center. It has been reported that more than 1,200 leading domestic and international companies are exhibiting, ranging from consumer-device makers to industrial AI and satellite-navigation vendors. For Western readers unfamiliar with China’s expo circuit, AWE has become a key barometer of how fast commercial AI and smart-city technologies are moving from labs into everyday life.

Beidou at scale

The show arrives as China doubles down on indigenous infrastructure. Beidou (北斗), the country’s satellite navigation system, featured prominently in several demonstrations and policy panels — and for good reason. Reportedly the Beidou industry now exceeds 600 billion yuan in total output, provides location services measured in the trillions each day, and covers more than 200 countries and regions, with over 140 already using Beidou-based products and services. One striking case cited at the expo: Chongqing’s Jiefangbei “5G+Beidou” project, which reportedly increased tunnel throughput from about 2,000 to 12,000 vehicles daily by solving indoor and multi‑level navigation problems.

Reporters and delegates also heard how major state firms are embedding Beidou into operations. State Grid (国家电网) is using the system to run autonomous-drone inspections for transmission lines; Sinopec (中国石化) and PetroChina (中国石油) have deployed Beidou-enabled tools in harsh oil basins. Wang Yanyan (王艳艳), secretary-general of the China Satellite Navigation and Positioning Association (中国卫星导航定位协会), told attendees that Beidou is “deeply integrated into the capillaries of economic and social life,” and that large central enterprises are driving much of the adoption.

Industry push and geopolitics

AWE’s focus on AI and satellite-enabled services comes against a backdrop of government policy and global tech competition. The 2026 government work priorities reportedly include accelerating satellite internet development and expanding Beidou’s scale applications — part of a broader push to reduce dependence on foreign technologies amid export controls and geopolitical friction. AWE itself is where private firms, state champions and foreign vendors meet to turn that policy momentum into products and contracts. Can a trade show help translate national strategy into everyday apps? At AWE 2026, the answer will be revealed in demos, partnerships and deals announced on the show floor.