SCO Digital Economy Forum secures 1.35 billion yuan in project deals

The opening ceremony of the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Digital Economy Forum was held in Tianjin, northern China, on Friday. Co-hosted by China's National Data Administration and the Tianjin Municipal People's Government, the forum is themed "New Bonds in the Digital Economy, New Horizons for Cooperation." 

A major side event, the Digital Economy Project Signing Ceremony and Data Industry Promotion, was held earlier in Tianjin, drawing over 100 companies from Beijing, Zhejiang, Henan and other regions. 

A total of 21 projects were signed on site, with total investment exceeding 1.35 billion yuan (about $186 million). These projects span critical digital economy sectors, including computing power infrastructure, low-altitude economy, smart healthcare and intelligent energy.

Another key event, the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Digital Technology Application Promotional Event, also took place during the forum. 

The session highlighted recent achievements by Tianjin's SOEs in fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things and smart manufacturing and provided a platform for international exchange, project matchmaking and cooperation under the SCO framework.

The forum featured an opening ceremony and main forum, four themed sub-forums, and various interactive experiences, focusing on key areas such as cross-border data flows, industrial digital transformation, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, smart cities and digital talent development.

The main forum brought together government officials, business leaders, academics and think tank representatives from SCO member states. Participants shared insights and built consensus on topics such as industrial digitalization, data value exploration and digital technology applications. 

The forum also featured the release of a set of model cases for China-SCO digital economy cooperation and a signing ceremony for key collaboration projects.

The four sub-forums focused on the following themes: "Data-Driven Industrial Empowerment," "Innovations in Digital Education and Cross-Border Talent Development," "Data Governance and Ecological Collaboration" and "Building Next-Generation Digital Infrastructure for Urban Futures."

In recent years, Tianjin has prioritized digital economy development. In Q1 of 2025, the city's core digital economy industries saw a 12.2-percent year-on-year revenue increase, with their added value accounting for 9.4 percent of the city's GDP. 

The successful launch of the forum marks a significant step forward in Tianjin's efforts to implement China's national digital economy strategy and deepen digital cooperation within the SCO framework. It also provides a valuable platform for fostering practical international collaboration in the digital domain.