CAREC Institute Contributions to the 10th China (Chengdu) Smart Industry International Expo- China Smart Energy Conference 2025

The 10th China (Chengdu) Smart Industry International Expo-China Smart Energy Conference 2025 was held in Chengdu on July 10-12, and welcomed nearly 200 leading enterprises from China and abroad to join. Co-hosted by the Sichuan International Chamber of Commerce, the China Satellite Navigation and Positioning Association, and the China Energy Research Society, this year’s event was themed “Developing the Digital Economy, Building a Smart Society.” Alongside the main exhibition, the expo featured more than ten major conferences and activities, including the 2025 China International Smart Industry Chain Application Conference and the 2025 China Smart Energy Conference, with a particular focus on the low-altitude economy and emerging smart technologies.

In response to national strategic goals, the expo has introduced two new themed zones: “Smart Energy” and “Low-Altitude Economy.” These areas showcased the latest advancements in policy and technology, aiming to drive innovation and support high-quality economic growth in Sichuan. Invited by the Chongqing Renewable Energy Society, Dr. Hans Holzhacker, former Chief Economist and currently serving as a consultant at the CAREC Institute, highlighted at the opening ceremony the crucial role of energy in modern development, stressing that the shift to smart energy is an inevitable global trend. He called for increased investment, effective governance, and international cooperation to build a smarter, more connected energy future.

Dr. Holzhacker underlined that trade in low-carbon technology products helps countries to obtain the tools needed for advanced electrification, decarbonization, and energy efficiency during the main session. He mentioned that the value of global low-carbon-tech-trade went from roughly USD 400 billion in 2005 to USD 1250 billion in 2024 (at current USD prices) and that the main drivers of this trade are the PRC, followed in some distance by Germany, the USA, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. He showed that the fast growing CAREC-China low-carbon-tech trade is a reflection of the increased electric mobility and of a new wave of (smart) electrification in the region and expressed the opinion that we will see further rapid growth of this trade in future.