The ninth COMAC International Science and Technology Innovation Week opens on Sept 14. [Photo/NUAA]

The ninth COMAC International Science and Technology Innovation Week, themed "Future Factory, Pioneering Innovation", opened on Sept 14 at the assembly and manufacturing center of Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC).

Co-hosted by Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), COMAC, and Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the event ran from Sept 14 to 18. It featured a talent development conference and a large aircraft research conference, focusing on advanced aviation manufacturing technology, advanced composite materials, digital intelligence in manufacturing, and green aviation and manufacturing.

Over 600 experts and scholars from 15 countries and regions, including government departments, universities, research institutes, and industry leaders, attended the event.

Addressing the opening ceremony, NUAA's Party secretary He Yaqiong emphasized the event's role as a key platform for innovation in China's aviation sector and highlighted international collaboration among China, the UAE, and other nations. He called for joint efforts to deepen fundamental research, enhance industry-education integration, and expand global collaboration.

Following the opening ceremony, university leaders toured the exhibition for the innovation week, the large aircraft validation workshop, and the assembly workshops.

Notable activities included signing a memorandum of understanding on talent development and unveiling a joint technology verification center.

At the large aircraft foundational science research conference, experts discussed new theories and methods in aerodynamics, materials, and AI for large aircraft.