Need

Wazoku, the Seeker for this scouting Challenge, is seeking mature SMEs, larger companies, research teams, innovators, and individuals applying on behalf of a project or team to be considered for a limited number of slots to join a delegation to the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, taking place from 5–10 November 2026.

Successful applicants will receive trip support and accommodation support, and Wazoku and its partner InnoMatch will facilitate introductions to relevant buyers and provide support aligned to the applicant’s industry and collaboration needs.

Prize/IP

This Challenge is about surfacing the right businesses for potential invitations - no IP is being considered as part of this challenge itself.

This is a Scouting Challenge seeking a partner or supplier to provide systems or expertise to solve Wazoku’s business challenge; the Solver is invited to submit a written proposal to be evaluated by Wazoku with the goal of establishing a collaborative partnership.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on September 25, 2026.

Please review the later Participation Guidance section before submitting a proposal.

- Login or register your interest to start solving! -

About the Seeker & Eligibility

Wazoku is running this global scouting challenge to identify high-potential organisations and project teams with a clear and credible interest in collaboration with China.

The Challenge is open globally. Applicants may include SMEs, larger companies, research teams, innovators, and individuals applying on behalf of a project or team. Projects should be mature, with TRL 7–9 preferred.

The Challenge

Background

The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a major international platform for trade, technology, and business engagement in Shanghai. The 9th CIIE will run from 5–10 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).

The expo includes an Innovation Incubation Special Section focused on technology, capital, and market, and it provides opportunities for global enterprises and organisations to connect with buyers, partners, and other stakeholders in China. The Business Exhibition serves as a global platform for enterprises to showcase imported products, technologies, and services across sectors including medical equipment and healthcare products, intelligent industry and information technology, consumer goods, food and agricultural products, and automobile and smart mobility.

Challenge

Wazoku is seeking applications from mature projects and organisations that have a real, practical need for collaboration with China and are ready to engage in meaningful business or technology transfer discussions at CIIE 2026.

Applicants should demonstrate a credible project, a clear collaboration objective, and a strong fit with China-related opportunities such as technology cooperation, factory setup, investment, company establishment, supplier discovery, technology sourcing, branch expansion, or government support.

Solution Requirements

Must-haves

• Application from SMEs, larger companies, research teams, innovators, and individuals applying on behalf of a project or team.
• Projects should be mature, with TRL 7–9 preferred. The higher the TRL and the more mature your application, the greater the likelihood of being shortlisted.
• Applicants should have a real demand for collaboration with China, with sensible potential requirements in terms of target cities, expected support and collaboration modes, financing and collaboration amounts, etc.
• Submissions covering one or more of the following sectors are of great interest: AI / Embodied AI; New Materials; Medical Devices; Intelligent Manufacturing. However please note that applications from other sectors and sub-sectors will still be considered.

Collaboration needs may include

• Technology cooperation
• Building factories
• Seeking investment
• Setting up a company
• Government support
• Branch company development
• Finding suppliers
• Finding technologies
• Orders
• M&A
• Joint venture production
• Landing in China

Solutions with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) between 7-9 are invited, with higher TRL preferred.

Your Submission

Please login and register your interest, to complete the submission form. The submitted proposals must be written in English and can include:

• Country
• Sub-sector
• Project profile, including point of contact and available web information
• Product / tech overview
• TRL and Current stage
• Expected collaboration mode
• Target customers
• Visual materials
• Patents / certifications
• Team members & profiles
• Technological advancement & advantages
• Service cases
• Annual sales (preferred in RMB)
• Financing stage
• Total financing raised (preferred in RMB)
• Other supplementary information

Participation Guidance

1. Submission Close Date: Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on September 25, 2026.
2. Late submissions: Will not be considered.
3. Up to five slots are available for the China trip.
4. Submission Maximum: In case of multiple submissions by the same Solver, only 1 submissions – the final submitted – will be considered. Any other submissions will be deleted prior to evaluation.
5. Submission form and attachments: Your submission will be evaluated by the evaluation team first reviewing the information and content you have submitted at the submission form, with attachments used as additional context to your form submission. Submissions relying solely on attachments will receive less attention from the evaluation team.
6. Evaluation notification steps: After the Challenge submission close date, Wazoku will review and contact any relevant shortlisted applicants according to the timeline in the Challenge header. Everyone who submits a proposal will be notified about the status of their submissions.
7. Use of AI: Please note that any submissions produced solely with generative AI are not of interest.
8. Learn more: Find out more about participation in Innocentive Challenges