The fourth Shanghai Future Island Industrial Expo was staged on Nov 28-30 at the Future Island High-tech Park – situated in Taopu town, in the Putuo district of East China's Shanghai.

The three-day event centered on such topics as smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence, aerospace technology and green and low-carbon development.

Proceedings get underway in the conference hall. [Photo/eastday.com]

As distinct from its predecessors, this year's expo introduced what it called an immersive "onsite + online" experience, providing visitors with a real-virtual symbiosis world.

The physical exhibition comprised four specialized areas: smart manufacturing, AI, aerospace technology and life and health.

Cutting-edge technologies and high-tech products – ranging from industrial basic materials to advanced manufacturing equipment – were on show.

In what the organizers said was a groundbreaking move, the expo incorporated a "metaverse" component to extend the exhibition space beyond physical confines.

Leveraging metaverse-related technologies, the organizers said the event created a parallel digital world that seamlessly interacted with reality.

The metaverse integration allowed visitors to explore virtual industrial parks, stroll through digital streets, visit companies, attend lectures and observe products and production workshops – all from the comfort of their homes.