SHANGHAI, April 17, 2026 – The 4th CIC Annual Summit & Awards Ceremony, hosted by CIC, concluded successfully at The St. Regis Shanghai on the Bund. Under the theme “Ride the Waves, Embark on a New Journey” and centered on the core pillars of New Economy, New Investment, New Technology, and New Industries. The summit convened over 800 distinguished guests from government bodies, industry associations, top-tier investment institutions, and leading industrial enterprises. More than 40 industry leaders delivered keynote addresses and in-depth insights, collectively analyzing global economic and industrial trends, exploring synergies between technological innovation and commercial integration, and witnessing the annual celebration of outstanding innovative enterprises. The summit injected strong momentum and fresh vitality into the high-quality development of China’s new economy.
The summit received strong support from authoritative institutions, under the guidance of the Shanghai Society for the Integration of Science, Technology and Economics, with official endorsement from Shanghai Songnan Economic Development Co., Ltd., and co-support from China Association for Public Companies, China Advertising Association, and other prominent organizations. As a high-standard, professionally rigorous, and broadly influential cross-industry platform, the summit garnered full coverage from mainstream and industry-leading media, cementing its status as one of the most high-profile industry–capital events of the year.
I. Gathering Insights to Forge a New Chapter
Against the backdrop of rapid global scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, sectors including artificial intelligence, biomedicine, advanced manufacturing, green tech, and new consumption are advancing at pace. Continuous technological breakthroughs, iterative business innovation, and accelerated emergence of future industrial clusters have become defining hallmarks of the era. In response, CIC has built a high-level industrial exchange platform aligned with market frontiers. The summit brought together distinguished guests to engage in in-depth dialogues on macroeconomics, global capital markets, AI technology, pharmaceutical innovation, frontier investment, and consumption transformation, delivering a knowledge forum of strategic vision, professional depth, and practical value.
Keynote Speeches: Authoritative Insights Steering the Future
The keynote segment convened heavyweight speakers to interpret policies, assess trends, and bolster market confidence from an authoritative perspective.
Arden Dai, Founding Partner of CIC, delivered the opening address, extending a warm welcome to all attendees on behalf of CIC. He emphasized that the CIC Annual Summit serves as more than a trend-analysis platform; it is a professional hub for consensus-building, confidence-sharing, and resource-linking, acting as a critical bridge for Chinese enterprises to navigate cycles and seize opportunities.
He reviewed the robust recovery of China’s capital market and the evolution of tech innovation, highlighting CIC’s deep involvement in supporting leading tech enterprises to list in Hong Kong. He also noted the shift of Chinese enterprises from product exports to value-chain upgrading and globalization, as well as the role of the CIC Heat List in identifying high-growth enterprises and reflecting the resilience of China’s economy.
A senior representative from China Association for Public Companies affirmed CIC’s long-standing contributions to capital market development and shared insights on capital market reforms and the development of new-quality productive forces. The representative reviewed achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan period and expressed commitment to fostering a virtuous cycle of technology, industry, and capital.
Ye Tan, renowned financial commentator, founder of YeTan Finance, and Vice Chairperson of Shenzhen Pink Ribbon, delivered a keynote speech titled “The Global Situation and China’s Economy in 2026”. She analyzed the new cycle of China’s economy, stressing that hard tech has become the core market pillar, and Chinese enterprises are advancing from product exports to brand and value-chain upgrading.
Zhang Shuming, Managing Director and Head of Asia Listing Services at HKEX, shared the latest developments and listing advantages of the Hong Kong capital market. He noted that Hong Kong ranked first globally in IPO fundraising in 2025, with strong momentum continuing into 2026. Backed by optimized listing systems and deep liquidity, Hong Kong remains a preferred destination for Chinese enterprises seeking global capital.
Roundtable Forums: Cross-Sector Discourse to Crack Hard Problems
The summit hosted a series of high-level roundtables covering embodied intelligence, large models & computing power, pharmaceutical innovation, frontier investment, consumption, and new retail. Moderated by CIC senior leaders, the forums brought together enterprise executives to discuss real-world applications, pain points, and scalable solutions.
A New Paradigm of Intelligence: Embodied Intelligence Enters the Physical World
Moderated by Leon Zhao, Partner at CIC, the panel explored embodied intelligence technology, scenario deployment, ecosystem building, and commercialization. Guests agreed that industrial-scale application requires improved perception reliability, real-scenario data accumulation, and full-industry-chain collaboration.
Beyond Large Models: Industrial Synergy of AI Agents, Embodied Intelligence, AI Chips & Quantum Computing
Moderated by Lisa Feng, Partner at CIC, the discussion focused on computing power optimization, cost control, and commercial deployment. Panelists highlighted edge computing, in-memory processing, and lightweight models as key enablers for large-model industrialization.
Breaking Boundaries: Key Dialogues Reshaping Pharmaceutical Innovation
Moderated by Luke Liu, Partner at CIC, the forum explored paradigm shifts in drug R&D. Guests emphasized differentiated innovation, unmet clinical needs, molecular design, and financial discipline as core success factors.
Focus on 2026 Investment Logic: Selecting Sub-Tracks & Identifying Quality Assets
Moderated by Glenn Hou, Founding Partner of CIC, top investors shared sector views covering innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, optical modules, AI-powered drug R&D, and commercial aerospace. They stressed team execution, real demand, tech barriers, and policy alignment as core investment criteria.
Consumer & New Retail Innovation Forum
As a featured segment, the forum gathered leaders from Bally, Forest Cabin, AusNuotore, ADTODAY, Shankai Sports, and others to discuss AI-era marketing, brand building, and cycle navigation. Leveraging CIC’s deep consumer-industry expertise, the forum delivered actionable strategies for high-quality growth.
II. Honors for Innovation: The 4th CIC Heat List Awards Ceremony
The highlight of the summit—the 4th CIC Heat List Awards Ceremony—was grandly staged. Focusing on ten high-growth tracks including Smart Computing, Intelligent Manufacturing, Future Mobility, Embodied Intelligence, AI SaaS, Advanced Therapies, Frontier Diagnostics, Green Technology, Quality Living, and Joy Economy, the list identified 100 high-potential enterprises with core tech and model innovation. Representatives of the “CIC Heat Stars” took the stage to receive honors, marking a milestone for China’s emerging industries.
Special Acknowledgments
Guiding Unit: Shanghai Society for the Integration of Science, Technology and Economics
Official Supporting Unit: Shanghai Songnan Economic Development Co., Ltd.
Supporting Units: China Association for Public Companies, China Advertising Association
Embodied Interaction Partner: Yongda Robotics
CIC Special Partners: PETKIT, Forest Cabin, Pinhutang, SukGarden, YANGGUOFU
Invited Media: Bloomberg Businessweek/China, YiMagazine, Securities Times, China Securities Journal, Economic Herald, Xinhua News, Cailian Press, China Star Market Daily, Ringier Trade Media, GDMS, Time Finance, 21st Century Business Herald, IPO Zaozhidao, Unicorn Zaozhidao, Guru Club
Ride the Waves, Embark on a New Journey. The successful 4th CIC Annual Summit has built a collaborative platform for industry, investment, and academia, forging consensus to drive high-quality development of new economy, new technology, and new industries.
Moving forward, CIC will uphold its professional mission, deepen industry research, and strengthen its high-standard summit platform. By linking global resources, empowering enterprise growth, and driving industrial innovation, CIC will continue to walk alongside partners to witness Chinese innovative enterprises go global and contribute to the high-quality development of China’s economy.
About CIC
CIC is a professional consulting firm offering tailored end-to-end support across the full investment and financing lifecycle. The firm boasts a world-leading track record in guiding landmark first-in-sector IPOs across global markets, alongside unrivaled reach and in-depth coverage capabilities across specialized niche market segments.
CIC helps enterprises refine scalable business models and craft compelling capital narratives to enable seamless access to global capital markets, while serving as a trusted due diligence partner to investment institutions. It delivers granular industry insights and direct access to subject matter experts, empowering clients to identify high-value opportunities and mitigate critical risks effectively.
