SHANGHAI, Sept. 14, 2026 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
The 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum is being held in Shanghai from September 11 to 14. Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and the Shanghai Municipal Government and initiated in 2008, this year's event adopts the official theme "Sharing Innovation and Shaping the Future: The Mission of the Global Sci-Tech Community amid a New Round of Sci-Tech Revolution". South Africa is the guest country of honor and Hunan Province the guest province of honor.
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.
Participants adopted the "Shanghai Statement of Global Innovative Cities Forum," which called for the establishment of the Global Innovative Cities Alliance.
Innovative cities should create opportunities for all and ensure that innovation contributes to sustainable and inclusive development, an on-site speaker 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.
Global scientists and officials have praised China's advances in science and technology, calling for stronger international collaboration to promote innovation and address common challenges at the 2026 Pujiang Innovation Forum.