This year’s Pujiang Innovation Forum opens today under the theme of “Global Cooperation of Governance of Science and Technology Innovation.”

This year’s Country of Honor is Serbia and the Province of Honor is Shaanxi.

The forum, which runs through October 30, will feature an opening ceremony and plenary session, a special event of the first Inno-Match Expo and 16 themed sub-forums about emerging technologies, future science, the mixing of technology and finance, regional and global innovation cooperation, among other hot topics.

Livestreaming and video chatting will be added for the benefit of scientists who can’t make it to the meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So far, the forum has invited more than 160 speakers from over 100 universities, major labs, leading science institutions and think tanks from more than 20 countries and regions. Among them, nearly half are scientists and scholars, and over 40 percent are overseas guests.

China’s top biologist Shi Yigong, the first Asian Turing Award winner Yao Qizhi and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Wu Manqing will give speeches at the plenary held after the opening ceremony.

Top medical experts and executives from global health organizations will share their views about technological innovation and global health management.

They include Nikolaj Gilbert, president of PATH, Richard Hatchett, chief executive officer at Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, Lance Rodewald, senior consultant at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Zhang Wenhong, head of Shanghai’s expert team for the treatment of coronavirus patients.

This year’s forum aims to further expand the global innovation network.

Serbia will have an exhibition pavilion to display its latest achievements. Top scientists from across the world will seek opportunities for cooperation, such as building national labs among Belt and Road Initiative countries.

New scientific and technological achievements will be unveiled, such as China’s next generation artificial intelligence development report, a trend study of the world’s cutting-edge technologies and a national applied math center.

Held from October 28 to 30 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, the first Inno-Match Expo will feature both exhibition and summits, building a bridge between Chinese and overseas enterprises and organizations so as to facilitate local innovation.