Shanghai gathers designers of the future: World Design Cities Conference 2026 kicks off
Design is no longer just aesthetics — it is becoming the language through which technology and culture speak to each other. In cities where innovation meets tradition, solutions are born that can change the daily lives of millions.
The 2026 World Design Cities Conference opened in Shanghai on Monday, gathering nearly 1,000 global experts and industry leaders to discuss frontier topics such as AI-driven design, green sustainability, and cultural innovation. The conference will spill out beyond the main venue, creating a citywide experience with over 50 satellite events across Shanghai. As a whole, the event centers on the theme "Design Generates", which alludes to the concept that AI design can bring art and technology closer together.
A sprawling main exhibition will bring together nearly 500 brands and showcase about 3,000 exhibits, including smart vehicles, home robots, and AI devices. Participants will be invited to partake in dozens of programs, including the Night of Design, the Shanghai Gala, and forums on pressing topics such as green design and the use of various smart technologies.
At the opening ceremony, the drafting of a set of publicly available guidelines for the "City of Design" initiative was launched. Shanghai was designated as a City of Design under UNESCO's Creative Cities Network in 2010. Annual awards were unveiled for the "Shanghai Design 100+" Global Competition and the fifth Frontier Design Prize during the ceremony, alongside the second cohort of U35 Young Design Talent roadshows, a program that aims to discover and support promising designers aged 35 and under.
The "Shanghai Design 100+" has drawn over 2,000 entries from more than 10 countries, with shortlisted projects generating nearly 50 billion yuan (about 7.4 billion U.S. dollars) in industrial output. Shanghai has cultivated a total of 21 national-level industrial design centers and 200 municipal-level design innovation centers. The city aims to expand the value of its consumer goods industry to more than 750 billion yuan (110.7 billion U.S. dollars) and grow its fashion consumer industry alone to more than 500 billion yuan by 2028.
The 2026 World Design Cities Conference, co-hosted by the Shanghai government and UNESCO, will run through Sept 30 at its main venue in Huangpu District, with the flagship exhibition opening to the public on Sept 26.
As reported by CCTV+, the World Design Cities Conference in Shanghai demonstrates how design is becoming a driving force for sustainable development and cultural exchange, bringing together experts and companies from around the world to create the cities of the future.
