A workshop to train talent in industrial green development and digitalization kicks off in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Aug 28, 2025. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2026 BRICS Forum on Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) will take place from May 27 to 28 in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, focusing on smart manufacturing solutions and industrial transformation in developing countries, with representatives from 25 countries and international organizations confirming their attendance.

At the opening ceremony, the International Coalition of Intelligent Manufacturing (ICIM) and global leading enterprises will launch an international cooperation initiative on intelligent manufacturing, as well as multilingual industrial standards and case studies for smart factories.

Topics during the forum will cover industrial software, technological innovation, smart factories, and sector applications, featuring presentations by international corporate executives and technical experts. Concurrent events include an industrial exhibition, the "Golden Egret" Excellence Scholarship (a talent workshop), and the award ceremony of the BRICS Industrial Innovation Contest.

The forum follows a set of 15 policy measures that were enacted by Fujian province in April. These measures target policy coordination, talent cultivation, and project development, aiming to establish a Global South cooperation network through the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center (BPIC) by 2030.

Over the past five years, the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center (BPIC) has hosted more than 50 exchange events and finalized 138 cooperation projects, with total investments exceeding 62 billion yuan ($9.1 billion).