Hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and organised by Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT), the Engineering Science and Technology Innovation Forum, part of parallel sessions in the 2024 ZGC Forum, was held in Beijing on April 25. More than 200 participants from government, industry, university and academia attended the Forum.

The parallel forum featured in-depth discussions on frontiers of engineering science and technology and high-quality development. Li Xiaohong, President of the CAE, and Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, delivered speeches in the Forum, which was chaired by CAE Vice President Wang Chen and CAE Secretary-General Chen Jianfeng.

In his speech, Li said that the scientific revolution has spurred a technological revolution, which in turn has triggered industrial transformation. It is crucial to deeply understand, accurately grasp, and proactively adapt to the contemporary trends in scientific and technological innovation, and also strive to take the initiative. It is essential to build consensus for innovation, rally forces to reach new heights, formulate major strategies, and promote significant breakthroughs, thus contributing the CAE’s plans and wisdom to the innovation and development of China and the world. Together with the international engineering community, the CAE is committed to further promoting scientific and technological cooperation, opening new avenues for economic development, and injecting new impetus into the global sustainable development.

Fatih Birol, also an international member of the CAE, said that the core of achieving global energy and climate goals lies in innovation among clean energy technologies, which is moving towards a correct direction but requires accelerated pace. He stressed the significant contributions to innovation by engineers worldwide and the crucial role of innovation and international cooperation in addressing energy and climate challenges. He expressed the hope that countries seek common ground while respecting differences and work together on critical issues related to energy and climate change. He also called it a great honour to be elected as a foreign member of the CAE.

The Forum included keynote speeches and a panel discussion. The keynote speeches focused on topics, such as industrial innovation driven by artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and the integrated development of new energy, new materials, and advanced manufacturing, discussing how engineering science and technology propel industrial development and social progress, aid development of new industries and business models, and facilitate high-quality sustainable development.

Chaired by Chen, the panel discussion featured five speakers discussing how cutting-edge technology will shape the future. They shared insights and exchanged ideas to drive innovation, integration and development.