Forum in Chongqing unveils initiatives for AI-era industrial design
A forum in Chongqing, southwest China, unveiled six initiatives on Oct. 22 to advance industrial design in the AI era, covering guiding principles, talent development, standards recognition, and collaboration among industry, academia and research institutes.
Hosted by the World Industrial Design Association (WIDA), the forum was a parallel session of the 2026 World Science and Technology Development Forum.
The forum launched the Global Initiative on Innovative Development of Industrial Design in the AI Era, calling on the global design community to uphold originality, adhere to ethical principles, embrace ecological values and put people first in building an open, collaborative and sustainable ecosystem for intelligent design.
The Global Initiative on Innovative Development of Industrial Design in the AI Era is launched at an industrial design forum in Chongqing, southwest China, Oct. 22, 2026.
The forum also launched the WIDA Global Young Makers Competition, which aims to give young innovators worldwide a platform to turn ideas into practice and creative works into industrial applications, nurturing the next generation of design talent.
The WIDA Global Young Makers Competition is launched at an industrial design forum in Chongqing, southwest China, Oct. 22, 2026.
Another key outcome was the signing of the Mutual Recognition of International Industrial Designer Competency Standards. Representatives of design institutions and industry organizations from China and abroad signed the agreement to promote cross-border recognition of professional competency assessments and career development frameworks, supporting the international mobility and collaboration of design professionals.
An agreement on mutual recognition of international industrial designer competency standards is signed at an industrial design forum in Chongqing, southwest China, Oct. 22, 2026.
Participants also signed an agreement on the joint establishment of the WIDA Design Innovation Center (Aerospace). Set up in partnership with the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, the center will serve as an international hub for industry-academia-research collaboration and a platform for turning design achievements into practical applications in the aerospace field.
An agreement on the joint establishment of the WIDA Design Innovation Center (Aerospace) is signed at an industrial design forum in Chongqing, southwest China, Oct. 22, 2026.
The forum also unveiled the Scientific Principles, Technical Architecture and Innovative Functions of Industrial Design for AI Fresh Cabinet, highlighting efforts to integrate technology, design and industrial application.
The Scientific Principles, Technical Architecture and Innovative Functions of Industrial Design for AI Fresh Cabinet are unveiled at an industrial design forum in Chongqing, southwest China, Oct. 22, 2026.
The sixth outcome was the release of the Seven Core Tasks for the High-Quality Development of Industrial Design in the Era of AI. They call for establishing and improving an ethical framework for AI-assisted design; strengthening the protection of original designs and intellectual property governance; restructuring industrial design education, talent assessment and cultivation systems; building end-to-end collaborative innovation chains for intelligent industrial design in enterprises; developing intelligent validation and public service support systems that integrate physical and virtual environments; developing specialized large AI models and engineering dataset systems for industrial design; and refining industrial design standards and international evaluation rules.
The forum was part of International Month 2026, organized by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and themed "Originating Innovation, Nurturing Excellence."
The initiative brings together local governments, international science and technology organizations in China, national academic societies, and local science and technology associations. It aims to foster exchanges between Chinese and international scientific communities, promote shared development, and explore the future of science and technology.
Source: World Industrial Design Association