Buyers and exhibitors discuss potential trade partnership at the third CIIE's pre-expo supply-demand matchmaking session for intelligent industry and information technology in Shanghai on Aug 8. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The China International Import Expo Bureau held a pre-expo supply-demand matchmaking session for the Intelligent Industry and Information Technology exhibition area in Shanghai on Aug 8, which also marked the 88-day countdown to the third CIIE.

The session drew more than 60 exhibitors and over 100 buyers, while some exhibitors and buyers participated in the event online.

The exhibitors included world-leading companies such as Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi, Dow, Nokia, Johnson Controls, Canon, Honeywell and General Electric, as well as some small- and medium-sized companies.

The buyers attending the event included a number of large manufacturing companies, medical institutes and trade companies.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, attended the event and delivered a speech, in which he said that the third CIIE has almost reached the target for attracting exhibitors, with the focus of current preparations shifted to recruiting buyers and expo organizing.

Liu said the bureau will continue to hold more matchmaking sessions to provide value-added services for exhibitors and buyers.

On behalf of exhibitors, Li Xun, director of the New Business Development in China at Baker Hughes, said the matchmaking session is very important for exhibitors to help expand business opportunities.

It is also a new opportunity for foreign firms to strengthen commitment to their long-term development strategy in China, she added.

APCB (Kunshan), one of the buyers present at the session, signed a letter of intent for purchase with Ingersoll Rand, one of the exhibitors at the event.

A group of business giants in equipment manufacturing industry, including Mitsubishi Electric, Dow, Brother, Ingersoll Rand, Baker Hughes, Emerson Electric and Heraeus, signed an MOU to attend the CIIE for the next three years. Many firms such as APEX, Xylem and Fujifilm showcased their latest products at the event.

The Intelligent Industry and Information Technology exhibition area of the third CIIE is divided into three parts, namely high-end manufacturing, solutions and technology, and environmental protection.

The industries involved in the exhibition area include numerical control machine tools, industrial parts, industrial machinery, industrial finished products, industrial automation, digital information, integrated electronics, semiconductor chips, ventilation and air conditioning, water purification and energy.

On Aug 8, the CIIE Bureau also announced the establishment of the special committee of CIIE Enterprise Alliance on industrial digital transformation.

The special committee will be committed to integrating the whole industrial chain of industrial digital transformation and offering advanced digital transformation solutions to enterprises in the field of industrial production to help them increase efficiency and improve quality.