TIANJIN — In the embodied intelligence exhibition hall, a humanoid robot waved and interacted with visitors, drawing crowds of onlookers. A German guest, Andrea Rosinger, repeatedly raised her phone to capture the scene.

Rosinger was in China attending the recent 2026 World Intelligence Expo in Tianjin.

Having worked in the field of digital technologies for decades, Rosinger is interested not only in the robot itself, but also in how robots and humans may work together in various fields in the future.

About 20 years ago, when Rosinger first came to China, she was involved in software development and digital solutions for businesses. Back then, digital transformation was a goal many companies were striving to achieve.

Today, she sees artificial intelligence driving industrial transformation at an unprecedented pace.

"At this expo, we can see the integration of AI and robotics across many fields, such as healthcare and manufacturing. My feeling is that China is leading the industry in robotics and making rapid progress in AI," she told Xinhua News Agency.

Covering 130,000 square meters, the expo featured six themed exhibition halls and a comprehensive exhibition area focusing on AI core technologies, embodied intelligence, intelligent connected vehicles, low-altitude economy and commercial aerospace, intelligent manufacturing and smart living. More than 700 foreign companies and organizations from around the world participated in the event.

From large language models and humanoid robots to smart factories and the low-altitude economy, the latest technologies, products and application scenarios on display have turned the expo into a window through which international participants can see China's innovation vitality and future industrial development.

"China is not only a huge market, but also a major global engine of innovation and manufacturing," said Rainer Kern, regional chief financial officer and vice-general manager at Karcher China.

Attending the expo, Kern said he was particularly interested in understanding the future direction of AI technologies and how industrial infrastructure may evolve in the years ahead.

In his view, the pace of AI development has exceeded many people's expectations. "In the past, technological iterations often took three to five years. Today, things that seemed impossible just half a year ago have already become reality."

"AI can significantly shorten research and development cycles. Today, you can use AI tools such as DeepSeek to conduct market research much more efficiently, gaining insights into market conditions, customer demand, historical purchasing behavior and likely future market trends," Kern said.

As a global provider of resource-conserving cleaning systems, Karcher values China's comprehensive industrial supply chains, its ability to rapidly deploy new technologies and its vast market potential.

What attracts international companies to China is not only the size of its market, but also its dynamic innovation ecosystem and continuously expanding industrial capabilities.

Hendrik Kruger, general manager of X Control — a Hamburg-based company specializing in digital solutions for the cruise industry — traveled to Tianjin as part of a German business delegation in search of new partnerships.

"We are actively seeking cooperation opportunities with Chinese companies," Kruger said, expressing interest in working with Chinese cruise operators to explore broader cooperation opportunities.

For Kruger, AI has already become deeply integrated into virtually every aspect of business operations. From software development, quality assurance and cybersecurity management to customer services and operational analytics, AI is helping companies improve efficiency and optimize decision-making.

"I am particularly impressed by the open-source approach adopted by many Chinese AI innovations," he said, adding that Chinese companies are actively promoting open ecosystems, and such openness is creating new possibilities for international cooperation.

A recent survey jointly released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and consulting firm Roland Berger shows signs of improving confidence among European businesses operating in China. China's vibrant R&D ecosystem, vast talent pool, and rapid product commercialization capabilities are attracting a growing number of European companies to establish and expand their R&D activities here.

This trend is also evident in the field of AI.

As AI rapidly moves from technological breakthroughs to industrial applications, more European companies are viewing China as an important destination for understanding future technological developments and Chinese companies as innovation partners, said Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

XINHUA