Wuxi's IoT industry embraces 'second growth' in AI era

The World Internet of Things Exposition (WIOT) 2026, held in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, from Oct 30 to Nov 2, put intelligent connectivity at the heart of its agenda as the city pushes its IoT industry into a "second growth" phase driven by artificial intelligence.

The event marks the 11th year since the expo was first held in Wuxi in 2016. Over the past decade, the expo has evolved alongside the city's industrial upgrading, with the 2026 edition underscoring how AIoT, the integration of AI and IoT, is moving from concept to real-world use.

The event brought together representatives from international organizations, leading scientists and global industry leaders to discuss emerging trends in intelligent sensing, advanced communications and autonomous decision-making. Specialized sessions examined integrated sensing and communication for 6G, embodied intelligence and satellite IoT, with participants presenting new technologies and application results.

The AIoT Products and Applications Exhibition, one of the event's highlights, blends commercial relevance with public engagement. Sorting and inspection robots, unmanned systems moving along simulated production lines and campus roads, and smart terminals with new functions illustrate how AIoT is becoming tangible products and practical applications.

These displays reflect a broader shift, as described by Wu Xiaojun, an academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences and dean of the Graduate School of Jiangnan University, in an interview during the event.

Wu said the integration of IoT and AI will continue to deepen. While IoT provides AI with sensing, connectivity and data support in real environments, AI gives IoT stronger capabilities in understanding, reasoning and making decisions. In other words, if AI is the brain, IoT serves as its senses and limbs; AI relies on IoT devices such as smart sensors to perceive and interact with the physical world.

For Wuxi, this technological convergence coincides with a new policy opportunity. In August, the city was designated as a national pilot zone for innovative application in the AI industry, becoming the first prefecture-level city in China to receive the status. The pilot zone was officially launched during the expo's opening ceremony on Oct 31.

Industry observers believe that Wuxi's advantage in commercializing AI applications stems partly from its long experience in building an IoT industry from the ground up. That experience has given the city a clear sense of what emerging industries need most and where sustained investment is required. Its established IoT base can also help AI move faster into the factories, vehicles, urban infrastructure and other physical environments.

Smart sensors and other IoT technologies are therefore a key bridge enabling AI to understand and interact with the physical world. Nationwide, Wuxi is among the best-placed cities to build such bridges.

In the first three quarters of 2026, IoT enterprises above designated size in Wuxi posted 220.51 billion yuan in operating revenue, up 9.6 percent year-on-year. The cluster has attracted more than 3,500 companies, with smart sensors, connected vehicles and the industrial internet emerging as distinctive niche tracks.

As a manufacturing hub in the Yangtze River Delta region, Wuxi offers abundant real-world applications for AIoT. In 2025, its modern industrial clusters reached 1.91 trillion yuan in scale. With more than 80,000 industrial enterprises and eight clusters each valued at over 200 billion yuan, the city provides fertile ground for AI applications.

With the new national pilot zone opening fresh opportunities, Wuxi is working to integrate its IoT industrial base, manufacturing strengths and AI technologies more deeply, aiming to sharpen its competitive edge in the next wave of intelligent industrial development.