The 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will take place in Beijing from September 2 to 7. Digital will be a keyword this year, with a special section debuting solely dedicated to digital-services companies. 

Glodon is among the digital-services exhibitors, specializing in what it calls "digital construction."

One of its eye-catching products is a robotic dog designed to patrol construction sites. With the help of live cameras, AI and big data, the robot can detect anything that goes wrong on a site. 

This is just one example of digital construction. 

The company said it provides digital solutions for construction projects, covering cost estimating, smart site management and smart building, which have helped clients to increase efficiency by at least 50 percent.

"We used to have someone on a site to manually document how all personnel and equipment management tasks. This requires time and energy," said Sun Yuguang, the exhibition guide at Glodon. "But now with this smart site system which utilizes big data, Internet of Things and AI analysis, everything is visible on a screen, like the location of workers, condition of equipment, and even potential accident risks."

The company is joining the fair for the second time. Pierpaolo Franco, the vice president at Glodon, said last year was a good first step which allowed the company to introduce the concept of digital construction to the market. 

"We have been exchanging a few rounds of conversations with one client and continue to engage with others, so I would say, all around, the experience has been very positive," said Franco. "In fact we're investing more and more this year, and we hope this platform can give us the opportunity to meet more and more partners, future clients and maybe new ideas for our developments."

The new section will host around 40 leading domestic and international companies in the industry, showcasing their latest contributions in areas like digital transportation and digital media.

During a press conference last Friday, Chinese officials explained the significance of setting up a digital-services section for the first time.

"In 2020, China's trade volume in digital services saw a yearly increase of 8.4 percent, accounting for over 40 percent of the total trade in services," said Chen Chunjiang, director of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services, Ministry of Commerce. "The digitalization of services is becoming a new growth engine for the services trade."

The 2021 CIFTIS' theme of Digital Future and Service-Driven Development echoes that trend, Chen added.