Shenzhen-Italy roundtable explores new frontiers in AI

Video by Zhen Jianhong

The Foreign Affairs Office of Shenzhen Municipal Government, in collaboration with the China-EU Digital Association (ChinaEU) and the World Innovative Cities Cooperation Organization (WICCO), hosted the 2026 edition of the “Shenzhen Let You Know” event alongside the “New Frontiers in Industrial AI: Italian-Shenzhen Cooperation Roundtable” on May 18.

The event brought together senior European executives, Chinese officials, and industry leaders to explore cutting-edge opportunities in industrial artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced manufacturing.

The 2026 edition of the “Shenzhen Let You Know” event and the “New Frontiers in Industrial AI: Italian-Shenzhen Cooperation Roundtable” is held in Shenhzen today.  Zhao Xiaochen

Ambassador Massimo Ambrosetti (2nd L), Italy’s Ambassador to China, attends the “New Frontiers in Industrial AI: Italian-Shenzhen Cooperation Roundtable” alongside business executives, industry leaders and government officials in Shenzhen today. Zhao Xiaochen

The “Shenzhen Let You Know” series serves as a high-level platform to showcase the city’s achievements in technology and innovation to visiting international delegations, while fostering targeted connections between Chinese and foreign government and business sectors.

This year’s event coincided with a visit by leading Italian business executives, providing a unique opportunity to highlight Shenzhen’s strength in industrial AI, embodied intelligence, and intelligent manufacturing, and to identify concrete avenues for China-Europe cooperation.

Italy’s Ambassador to China Massimo Ambrosetti speaks during an interview with Shenzhen Daily reporters at the event in Shenzhen today. Zhao Xiaochen

Ambassador Massimo Ambrosetti, Italy’s Ambassador to China, praised Shenzhen as a living testament to rapid urban and industrial transformation since his first visit in 1992.

He emphasized the importance of physical AI — the application of artificial intelligence in tangible industrial processes — for the next phase of Italy-China cooperation.

“Physical AI will change everything in our economies, in our industrial structures,” he said, noting that Italy, as the European Union’s second-largest manufacturing economy, stands to benefit from collaboration with Shenzhen’s innovation ecosystem.

Gu Ting, vice president of the Shenzhen People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, welcomed the delegation and highlighted Shenzhen’s unique position as a global technology hub.

“Shenzhen is home to more than 25,000 high-tech enterprises with leading capabilities in digitalization and intelligent industries,” Gu said. “Shenzhen and Italy are naturally complementary in industrial software, advanced manufacturing, and green energy, offering broad opportunities for mutual benefit.”

Luigi Gambardella (C, front row), president of ChinaEU, listens attetively during the event. Zhen Jianhong

Luigi Gambardella, president of ChinaEU, underlined that the purpose of the roundtable was not just discussion, but actionable collaboration.

“We are here to turn meetings into pilots, pilots into partnerships, and partnerships into industrial outcomes,” he said. He described Shenzhen’s unique ecosystem, where AI innovation is integrated directly into industrial production, from robotics to AI-enabled production lines.

Gambardella emphasized that the next industrial frontier would not be determined solely by AI models, but by applying intelligence to factories, supply chains, products, and human labor — areas where Italy’s industrial expertise can intersect with Shenzhen’s technological leadership.

The roundtable also featured presentations on Shenzhen’s business environment, regulatory support, and policies to attract talent and investment. Italian executives shared projects in digital services, software development, and AI applications, exploring cooperation opportunities in advanced manufacturing and the digital economy.

Shenzhen shares a long history of local cooperation with Italy, including sister-city relationships with Milan, Turin, Brescia, and the Tuscany region.

The event underscored plans to expand collaboration in design, fashion, trade, and tourism, building on Shenzhen’s reputation as a global innovation and manufacturing hub.