From Intel to Airbus: Summer Davos turns Dalian into a real‑economy catalyst in 17 years — $2.5 billion, 1,700 participants and 800 tonnes of CO2 saved
17th forum, 1,700 participants from 90 countries, 16 events since 2007, 50 foreign and 48 domestic investment projects in Dalian alone. Intel, Airbus, SK Group, Volkswagen, Pfizer — the list grows. Carbon footprint cut by 800 tonnes, energy efficiency up 30%.
As reported by CCTV+, from Intel's chip plant in Dalian to the first Airbus A320 final assembly line outside Europe, the Summer Davos Forum has evolved over 17 years from a high‑level dialogue platform into a catalyst for real economic cooperation between China and the global business community. The 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as Summer Davos, opened this week in the northeastern Chinese port city of Dalian. The forum, organised by the World Economic Forum, has alternated between Dalian and Tianjin since its first session in September 2007. This year's meeting, themed "Scaling Innovation", brought together more than 1,700 participants from about 90 countries and regions.
While the forum serves as a global platform for dialogue on economic trends and innovation, its impact extends far beyond the conference halls. In the week of the first Summer Davos in 2007, Intel broke ground on its first 300‑millimetre silicon wafer plant in Asia, located in Dalian. The $2.5 billion project became the first "Davos effect". The following year, during the Tianjin forum, Airbus opened its first A320 final assembly line outside Europe. The first aircraft rolled out in 2009, followed by serial deliveries.
The forum has accelerated cross‑border capital flows. In Dalian alone, from 2015 to 2024, the city attracted 50 major foreign‑funded projects and 48 domestic‑investment projects. SK Group, Volkswagen and Pfizer set up operations in the city. R&D intensity rose from 1.39% to 3.12%, and the value‑added of Dalian's digital economy exceeded $10.5 billion in 2025. This year, the focus is on carbon reduction: venues run on green electricity, cutting CO2 emissions by about 800 tonnes. Air‑conditioning systems use seawater heat pumps, saving more than 30% of energy.
The World Economic Forum also released its annual report on the top 10 emerging technologies, highlighting global innovation trends. Nearly two decades of experience show that amid rising protectionism, openness and cooperation remain the path to mutual benefit. Summer Davos continues to provide steady momentum for the global economy.
Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions) is organised by the World Economic Forum and has been held since 2007. Dalian and Tianjin host the event alternately. Intel's Dalian plant was the first major investment project to come to China through the forum. The Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line in Tianjin remains the only one outside Europe. Cutting the carbon footprint by 800 tonnes demonstrates how major events can adopt green technologies. Dalian's digital economy has grown several times over, and R&D intensity has doubled in a decade.
When a forum that began as a place for talk becomes an engine for real investment, it is no longer just a meeting. It is a mechanism that turns ideas into factories and dialogue into jobs. Intel, Airbus, Volkswagen — behind these names are not just corporations but thousands of people who come to work every day in Dalian and Tianjin. Summer Davos has proven: the economy is not built on words — it is built on action. And while the world debates protectionism, China continues to open its doors. And the forum remains the bridge over which investment, technology and trust flow.
