Innovation professionals and companies are on their way to Shenzhen, a technology-driven city in South China's Guangdong province, bringing with them a large number of world-leading products.

They are attending China Hi-Tech Fair, a State-level technology show that will run from Nov 16-21 at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center.

"The fair will function as an indicator this year, by displaying the world's core and cutting-edge technologies," said Gao Yuyue, deputy secretary-general of the Shenzhen government.

The annual fair, held since 1999, is jointly hosted by several ministries and commissions under the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Shenzhen government.

Besides the main venue at Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the fair also has two sub-venues dedicated to drones and high-tech talent. The total exhibition area is set to surpass 115,000 square meters.

Cutting-edge products

About 3,000 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions will display more than 10,000 projects at the fair, with organizers forecasting the six-day event will attract at least 500,000 visitors and buyers from around 80 countries and regions.

The latest and most important achievements to announce and demonstrate at the fair include world's first smart helmet that integrates music, telecommunications and a smart lighting system; the world's first foldable featherweight virtual reality device; the biggest but lightest multi-rotor drone; and the world's first foldable 3-D head-worn theater, according to the organizer.

Other newly released products range from VR mobile cinemas, autostereoscopy 3-D mobile phones and computer-mediated reality smart glasses, to the world's first electrothermal film made from rare earth elements.

Foreign groups

According to the organizers, a total of 31 countries and international associations have organized 43 exhibition groups, making China Hi-Tech Fair truly international.

The Kingdom of Bahrain will join the fair for the first time, led by the chief executive of the country's economic development board.

The 30-plus-member delegation from Bahrain is composed of the country's top funds, financial institutions and innovation companies to introduce its financial resources to the promising high-tech projects at the fair.

The European Union delegation has organized 14 research and development institutes from nine countries, including France, Germany and Portugal, to showcase its latest scientific and technological achievements.

It will give a seminar to develop innovation cooperation between China and the EU.

The high-tech companies in the Czech Republic delegation, led by a deputy ambassador to China, will display their world-class technologies at the fair, including the award-winning project Expo 2015 and those which won the 2015 European Technology Innovation Award by Frost& Sullivan.

"Some 24 out of the 31 countries and regions that will join the fair are located along the Belt and Road. The fair is expected to play a more important role to promote the technological exchanges between these countries and regions with China," Gao said.

He noted the fair has put more emphasis on serving as an effective link between governments, companies, scientific research institutes and financial organizations.

The organizing committee will cooperate with an investment association to stage fundraising road shows for projects and investors. Nearly 100 experienced investment companies have joined the program.

"Shenzhen, the host city, has been one of the most dynamic cities in technological development. The fair will further promote Shenzhen to be a world-leading innovation city," said Gao.

Highlighted forums

Derek Aberle, president of Qualcomm Inc, a telecommunications company based in the United States, will give a keynote speech at the fair's opening event on Nov 16.

Christopher A. Pissarides, who was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2010, and Carlo Rubbia, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1984, are also on the speakers' list for the opening event.

China Hi-Tech Fair has arranged various forums that will cover hot topics, including the impact of China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) and the supply-side reform on China's economy, how artificial intelligence and big data will affect the future of internet finance, the new opportunities rising from the Industry 4.0 strategy and smart cities.