On September 16, the 2022 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference (WICV), jointly hosted by the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Ministry of Transport (MOT), and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), kicked off in Beijing. Xin Guobin, Member of Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister of the MIIT, attended the conference and delivered a speech.

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) development. Relevant departments have implemented a series of measures to stimulate technological innovation, refine policy frameworks, and optimize the development environment. This support has driven positive results in the industry: the market penetration rate of new passenger vehicles equipped with combined driver assistance systems has risen to 32.4%; key technologies such as vehicle operating systems and high computing power chips have seen breakthroughs; over 3,500 kilometers of roads have been upgraded for smart capabilities, with more than 4,000 roadside connected devices installed and over 15 million kilometers of actual road tests completed. Moving forward with further implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the MIIT will advance vehicle-road-cloud integration and establish a coordinated mechanism for the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry. Efforts will include conducting pilot projects for ICV access, drafting a new version of the ICV standard system, promoting cross-sector collaborative innovation, and accelerating the construction of vehicle-road collaboration infrastructure. In-depth international cooperation is also encouraged in areas such as technological innovation, trade investment, and standards and regulations, to jointly promote the high-quality development of the ICV industry.

Themed “Accelerated Intelligence & Connected New Ecosystem”, this year’s conference features one opening ceremony and main forum, seven thematic summits, six special sessions, two closed-door meetings, and one field visit. Over 2,500 representatives from more than 20 countries and regions engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including policies and regulations for large-scale development, new infrastructure and digital-enabled growth, network security and data security, and smart traffic management and vehicle-to-grid (V2G). Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering such as Zhong Zhihua, Ni Guangnan, and Jin Yong attended and delivered brilliant speeches. During the four-day event, a concurrent China International New Energy and Intelligent Connected Vehicles Exhibition showcased new technologies, products, and business forms in the ICV industry through innovative means like virtual reality (VR) and metaverse, enabling the public to experience the latest achievements in intelligent and connected technologies.