Driving Intelligent Upgrades In Rubber And Plastics Industry! Preview Of Concurrent Activities At Chinaplas 2026 International Rubber & Plastics Exhibition (Part 2)

Are you ready to explore the innovative world of rubber and plastics? The highly anticipated "CHINAPLAS 2026 International Rubber and Plastic Exhibition" will take place from April 21 to 24 at the Shanghai National Convention and Exhibition Center (Hongqiao). Over 5,000 exhibitors from around the world will present cutting-edge rubber and plastic technology solutions. Throughout the exhibition, a series of exciting events will be carefully organized, including technical exchanges, application innovations, procurement and supply, trend insights, factory visits, industry-academia-research integration, and talent matching. These activities will build a comprehensive and in-depth communication and cooperation platform, unlocking the mysteries and business opportunities of industry innovation from multiple perspectives, and promoting the intelligent upgrading and high-quality development of the rubber and plastic industry.

“Smart Manufacturing of Molds, Shaping the Future” Forum—Focusing on Intelligent Transformation and Global Expansion

Under the dual waves of globalization and green transition, how can the plastic mold industry leverage digitalization to achieve intelligent manufacturing advancement and build sustainable competitiveness for the future? The "Smart Molding, Shaping the Future — Intelligent and Sustainable Development of the Plastic Mold Industry" forum, co-organized by CHINAPLAS 2026 International Rubber and Plastics Exhibition and the Hong Kong Mold Development Centre (HKMDC), targets enterprise decision-makers, technical and production managers in the plastic and mold industry. The event focuses on two core areas: intelligent upgrading in the production sector and global market expansion.

The forum will present the complete journey from "single-point optimization" to "system intelligence." The Hong Kong Productivity Centre (HKPC) will explain the Digital Management System (DMS) specifically designed for the injection molding industry, using data flow to break through efficiency bottlenecks; Honglidia Mould will share practical experiences in intelligent upgrading of old factories through robots, MES, and APS; Baimi Machinery will showcase a vertical injection molding machine solution that integrates AI and automation, achieving unmanned production and quality improvement. In response to the restructuring of global supply chains, Huimei Mould will, for the first time, systematically share its ten-year experience in establishing factories across multiple countries in Southeast Asia, including site selection logic, customer trust building, and long-term cooperation experiences, offering a reference path for enterprises intending to expand into overseas markets.

Application Seminar: Breaking the Bottleneck of Industrial Chain Collaboration from the Buyer’s Perspective

On the third day of the exhibition, the "Application Forum Series" joined forces with end-users from the plastics and rubber industries to voice insights from a brand perspective, directly addressing pain points in terminal sectors and seeking integrated upstream-downstream solutions. Seven thematic forums delved deeply into over 50 hot topics, covering automotive, medical, packaging, antimicrobial applications, cables, and green PVC products. The event brought together renowned companies such as Weigao, Shanghai Marfran, SAIC Motor, Yanfeng, Bright Dairy, Want Want Group, Zijiang Enterprise, and Far East Cable for on-site sharing and exchange.

Day4Trend Insight Day: Unlock an Immersive Exhibition Experience

On the last day of the exhibition, the grand finale unveils a fully customized itinerary for "Day 4 Trend Insight Day," creating a rich and in-depth visiting experience for the audience.

In the morning "Decoding Trends Forum," star experts, academic representatives, and leading enterprise professionals came together to analyze policy trends and market insights in the rubber and plastic industry, interpret the plastic aesthetics and design trends behind CMF trends, and deeply explore the innovation and application of core technologies in the rubber and plastic industry in emerging industries such as robotics and the low-altitude economy.

Forum: “From Aesthetics to Emotional Resonance: 2026 CMF Trends and Applications” Centered on the theme “Intelligence × Emotional Resonance,” this forum focuses on the evolving role of CMF (Color, Material, Finish) in the intelligent era. Featuring speakers including Wang Yunfan, Trend Consultant at WGSN, and Li Qin, CMF Designer at Zeekr Research Institute, the forum explores how color, materials, and finishing techniques can create differentiated competitiveness and continuously evolving user experiences for products.

"Plastic·Inspiring the Future: Innovation and Development Exchange Meeting on Humanoid Robots and Low-altitude Aircraft" brings together industry leaders and experts in research and manufacturing, including Deputy Director Zhang Hailiang from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), and Vice President Jia Pengda from Beijing Zhongke Huilin Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. Through case analysis and cross-industry dialogue, it deeply explores the innovative applications of rubber and plastic technology in emerging fields such as the low-altitude economy and humanoid robots, providing the industry with strategic and practical references to jointly explore new growth drivers for the industry.

"Scenario-Driven, Integrated Innovation — Opportunities Insight in the Rubber and Plastics Industry" forum has invited Zhejiang University Qushen Distinguished Professor Zheng Qiang and materials expert Huang Jiaqi from the automotive and humanoid robot industries. The forum focuses on the changing usage scenarios and demand characteristics of rubber and plastic materials in application fields such as new energy vehicles, low-altitude economy, and humanoid robots. It systematically sorts out the emerging application opportunities and development trends in the rubber and plastics industry, providing forward-looking market and scenario insights for industry stakeholders.

In the afternoon, the "Exclusive Factory Deep Dive" took the audience into FANUC Shanghai's Intelligent Phase III Factory—the "super smart factory of the robotics world"—for an immersive tour of the Smart Manufacturing Experience Center and a behind-the-scenes look at robotic simulated production lines.

Science and Technology Innovation Industrial-University-Research Cooperation: Enhancing Rubber and Plastics Manufacturing through Collaborative Efforts

“CHINAPLAS 2026 International Rubber & Plastics Exhibition” is being upgraded in response to China’s accelerated transformation from “Made in China” to “Intelligent Manufacturing in China.” The rubber and plastics industry is experiencing unprecedented upgrading opportunities, with rapidly growing market demand for new products and new technologies. A large number of high-quality R&D projects urgently need to transition from the lab to production lines and achieve commercialization.“ ・"Industry-University-Research"Industry-Research Integration Matching Event

The event is supported by the Shanghai Plastics Industry Association and involves three universities: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, East China University of Science and Technology, and Donghua University. Centered on “Building Innovation Bridges and Empowering Industry Advancement,” it strengthens university-industry collaboration and injects new momentum into the high-quality development of the rubber and plastics industry.

Activity setup4.2H61Industry-University-Research Sharing Forum 4.2H92University Innovation Achievements Exhibition AreaTwo formats: centralized exhibitions of cutting-edge, commercially viable projects—including composite material fabrication, medical polymer materials, aerospace carbon fiber, and embodied robot sensing textiles—to drive university research out of the lab and help industrial chain enterprises match with suitable technologies and partners.

Rubber and Plastic Higher Education Elite Program1,000+High-quality positions on display

To address the industry-wide challenges of difficulty in recruiting specialized talent and soaring campus recruitment costs in the rubber and plastics sector, CHINAPLAS 2026 International Rubber & Plastics Exhibition continues to enhance its “Rubber & Plastics University Elite Program.” In collaboration with the Shanghai Plastics Industry Association and top-tier Chinese universities—including China’s “Project 985” and “Project 211” institutions such as East China University of Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, and Donghua University—the program brings traditional campus recruitment directly to the exhibition venue, establishing a “direct express” for university-enterprise talent matching. Industry leaders—including Haitian, Yizumi, Xingbeida, Jia Ren, INTCO, and Haisun—have confirmed their participation and will collectively release over 1,000 high-quality positions in the rubber and plastics industry.

The event created a distinctive platform for school-enterprise cooperation in the rubber and plastic industry through on-site alumni sharing, school-enterprise face-to-face exchanges, and group visits by universities. It helps enterprises find professional, innovative talents, and provides university students with an opportunity to access industry frontiers and connect with high-quality enterprises. This promotes mutual growth between enterprises and talents, and lays a solid foundation for the high-quality development of the rubber and plastic industry.

Product Innovation Inspiration Library: Experience the Beauty of Manufacturing Up Close

To find inspiration for producing more attractive products, the "Product Innovation Inspiration Library" can provide answers, and it can also connect manufacturers from various industries with high-quality suppliers. This year, at the exhibition, the "Product Innovation Inspiration Library" will feature more than 200 innovative products and semi-finished goods, spread across five exhibition halls (4.1, 8.1, 1.2, 6.2, 7.2), with seven large display walls at the entrances.