China News Service, Wuhan, October 15 (Reporter Liang Ting) The 2026 East Lake Forum with the theme of "Building Innovation Highlands and Strengthening Strategic Pivot" opened in Wuhan on the 15th. Well-known entrepreneurs, scientists, and heads of international science and technology organizations from home and abroad attended the meeting to promote cooperation in related fields and the transformation of results.
The East Lake Forum is a science and technology forum organized by the Hubei Provincial Government. This forum is hosted by the Hubei Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Hubei Provincial Association for Science and Technology, the Wuhan Municipal Government, and the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Zone Management Committee. A total of 1 main forum and 10 parallel activities were held.
At the meeting, the "Wuhan Science and Technology Innovation Index Report (2026)" compiled by the China Academy of Science and Technology Development Strategies was officially released. According to the report, Wuhan’s scientific and technological innovation capabilities continue to rise. The level of innovation factors has soared, major scientific and technological achievements are emerging, and 28 national science and technology awards will be won in 2025; the enterprise echelon growth system is constantly optimized, with more than 17,000 high-tech enterprises in 2025, the global R&D position of leading enterprises continues to rise, and international education and scientific and technological cooperation are steadily deepening.
Zhang Byung-yun, vice chairman of the Asian Simulation Alliance and chairman of the Korean Simulation Society, said in his speech that as a science and technology that uses computers and models to simulate the operation of real systems, simulation technology has been widely used in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, biomedicine and other fields, and is a key link connecting scientific issues, engineering practice and industrial innovation. Hubei is an important industrial base and science and education center in China, with vast space for the development and application of simulation technology. This trip will focus on topics such as the application of simulation technology in intelligent manufacturing and carry out academic exchanges with relevant research institutions and scientific research teams.
Benjamin List, winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in his keynote speech that organic catalysis has been widely used industrially around the world, and he was deeply impressed by Wuhan's scientific research layout in the field of photochemistry. He believes that it is of great significance to adhere to source innovation and promote international scientific research cooperation and joint talent cultivation.
Currently, Hubei is promoting the accelerated integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation. The province has 4 national strategic emerging industry clusters and 16 national innovative industry clusters. In 2025, the output value of Hubei's two pillar industries of optoelectronic information and automobile manufacturing and services will each exceed one trillion yuan.
