Custom Programme
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China Innovation Expedition
Understanding
the Future Ahead
Shenzhen
Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Six days of immersion in China with ChoZan × GoingNext, alongside a curated group of leaders, founders and innovators from Europe.
6 to 11 December 2026
Six days in the Greater Bay Area,
where the future is manufactured.
China Innovation Expedition is an exclusive six-day immersion in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the corridor where China designs, prototypes and manufactures the future. A programme built for founders, corporate leaders, investors and decision-makers who want to see up close the companies, the factories and the models writing the playbook for the next decade.
Small group. Big conversations. Real insight.
If you want to understand the future,
start where it's already happening.
{ China's innovation corridor }
Why the Greater Bay Area, why now
Shenzhen went from fishing village to the world's hardware capital in forty years. Guangzhou has been manufacturing for two thousand years and keeps reinventing how it is done. Together they form the Greater Bay Area: the place where an idea becomes a prototype in a week and a globally scaled product in a quarter.
This is where DJI, BYD, EHang, UBTECH, Bambu Lab, GAC Aion and Pony.ai test and scale drones, autonomous vehicles, robotics and urban air mobility — not as concepts, but as daily operations.
$2 trillion
Combined GDP of the Greater Bay Area — the scale of a top-ten world economy.
70%
Of the world's civilian drones come out of Shenzhen, global capital of the low-altitude economy.
+86M
People across 11 cities connected by high-speed rail: one market, one value chain.
~6%
Of Shenzhen's GDP invested in R&D, nearly triple the European Union average.
The point is not to admire Chinese speed. It is to understand how it is organised — and what that means for your industry.
Two cities,
one value chain
Thirty minutes apart by train, Shenzhen and Guangzhou show the two ends of the same system: the city that invents the product and the city that manufactures it for the world.
Shenzhen
From fishing village to the world's hardware capital in four decades. Home to DJI, BYD, UBTECH and the Huaqiangbei market, this is where the low-altitude economy, robotics and autonomous driving move from the lab to the street.
Guangzhou
Two thousand years of trade and the densest industrial base in southern China. From GAC Aion's "Lighthouse Factory" to small-batch garment lines and B2B live-streaming bases, Guangzhou shows how things are made, sold and exported in real time.
{ Inside Chinese innovation }
The four central experiences
An immersion designed to see Chinese innovation from within: in the lab, on the street and on the assembly line.
Behind the Scenes
More than institutional visits, the expedition provides access to conversations with lab leaders, R&D managers, specialists and decision-makers from companies building the future of technology in China.
On the Ground
Greater Bay Area innovation is understood on the street and on the factory floor. Drone deliveries, robotaxis, "lights-out" production lines, component markets and cross-border live-streaming observed in real context.
A Peer Network
Travel with a curated group of founders, executives, investors and innovation leaders. More than contacts, they are conversations, perspectives and relationships that continue after the expedition.
The Real Story
Unfiltered Q&A, private briefings, curated dinners and cultural immersions to understand not just what is happening in China, but what lies behind its pace of innovation.
{ INVESTMENT }
China Innovation Expedition
{Founding Cohort}
A premium programme, with real access to the Chinese innovation ecosystem and all essential logistics included. Also includes a roadbook with agenda and speakers, plus a post-expedition summary report.
7.888 €
Few spots remaining.
First 6 seats, first come.
Next tiers
Reserve your spot
- Early Birduntil 90 days before8.888 €
- Standard90–30 days before9.888 €
- Last Callunder 30 days10.888 €
Only 25 spots.
An all-inclusive programme,
with no hidden costs.
{ What's included }
6-day programme- Access and briefings
- ChoZan moderation
- 5-star hotel in Shenzhen and Guangzhou
- Selected meals
- Transport, including high-speed train
- Paid C-level dialogues
- Professional simultaneous interpretation
Does not include round-trip flights to China and visa.
{ Networking and high-level learnings }
Companies you'll interact with
{ The 6-Day Agenda }
Understanding the Future Ahead
Six days of access, context and strategic reflection.
6 to 11 December 2026
01
DAY 1 · SHENZHEN
Arrival in the City of Tomorrow
- 1.1Arrival & Check-in
Participants arrive in Shenzhen throughout the day.
- 1.2Welcome Dinner & Opening Briefing
An evening of connection, with a curated dinner and a detailed walkthrough of the itinerary and logistics for the days ahead.
- 1.3Evening Exploration — Drone Delivery (Meituan)
A live order delivered by drone through Meituan's low-altitude logistics system, followed by a walk along Shenzhen Bay and Talent Park.
02
DAY 2 · SHENZHEN
The Low-Altitude Frontier
- 2.1Opening Keynote — Ashley Dudarenok
A macro view of China's frontier technology ecosystem and of the Shenzhen–Guangzhou corridor as strategic context for the whole expedition.
- 2.2Visit — DJI
The global drone and imaging leader: product ecosystem, flight control, creator tools and building a hardware brand at world scale.
- 2.3Visit — Air Amap (Longgang)
The low-altitude economy exhibition hall: intelligent operations, aerial traffic coordination and the digital infrastructure connecting drones, maps and urban mobility.
- 2.4Dialogue — Low-Altitude Economy
Policy, airspace management, commercial scenarios, investment opportunities and the real bottlenecks facing drone logistics and eVTOL.
- 2.5Reflection & Deep Briefing
Consolidation of the day's insights, followed by dinner.
- 2.6Evening Exploration — Shenzhen Light Show
From Lianhuashan Park to UpperHills: a first read of the skyline, the urban planning and "China Speed".
03
DAY 3 · SHENZHEN
Future Mobility Systems
- 3.1Dialogue — China's Future Mobility Stack
The relationship between electric vehicles, autonomous driving and urban air mobility — and the infrastructure needed to support it.
- 3.2Visit — BYD (Shenzhen Headquarters)
Electric vehicles, battery technology, vertical integration, intelligent manufacturing and BYD's global expansion model.
- 3.3Experience — Autonomous Driving (Pony.ai)
An L4 robotaxi in a real urban setting: regulation, safety, unit economics and the mobility models ahead.
- 3.4Visit — EHang & Low-Altitude Experience Center
The EH216-S passenger eVTOL, the vertiport setup and the commercialisation debate around short-distance aerial transport.
- 3.5Reflection & Deep Briefing
Consolidation of the day's learnings, followed by dinner.
04
DAY 4 · SHENZHEN → GUANGZHOU
The Hardware Ascent
- 4.1Visit — UBTECH
Embodied intelligence and robotics in real deployment: from showroom innovation to practical application across education, service and industry.
- 4.2Experience — Bambu Lab (3D Printing)
Multi-colour printing, model libraries, materials and community logic: how 3D printing stopped being a niche tool and became a creative platform.
- 4.3Experience — Huaqiangbei Electronics Safari
Shenzhen's legendary electronics supply chain: components, modules, screens, rapid prototyping and cross-border product selection.
- 4.4High-Speed Train — Shenzhen → Guangzhou
350 km/h of intercity connectivity: how talent, capital and supply chains flow within a single economic zone.
- 4.5Reflection & Deep Briefing
Consolidation of the day's learnings, followed by dinner.
05
DAY 5 · GUANGZHOU
Manufacturing Deep Dive
- 5.1Dialogue — Guangzhou's Manufacturing Dualism
The heavy track — automotive and new-energy electronics — and the light track — textiles and garments: two faces of the same industrial resilience.
- 5.2Visit — GAC Aion Intelligent Eco-Factory (Panyu)
A "Lighthouse Factory": near fully automated lines from stamping to final assembly, with a focus on the new-energy electronics cluster.
- 5.3Visit — Garment Manufacturing Hub
Intelligent sewing lines, a digital fabric platform, a selection centre and cross-border live-streaming: the "small-batch, quick-return" logic end to end.
- 5.4Reflection & Deep Briefing
Consolidation of the day's insights, followed by dinner.
- 5.5Pearl River Night Cruise
From Shamian Island to the Canton Tower: sixty minutes reading the evolution of China's oldest trade port.
06
DAY 6 · GUANGZHOU
From Immersion to Strategy
- 6.1Visit — Global Beauty Selection & Live-Streaming Base
China's largest B2B beauty control tower: 2,000+ brands, 60,000+ SKUs, a live-streaming command centre and export within 72 hours.
- 6.2Closing Keynote — Why We Bet on Guangzhou
An investor's field report from an active Greater Bay Area portfolio: where the capital goes, why here, and what Shenzhen's headlines hide.
- 6.3Networking Lunch & Final Reflection
Consolidate takeaways and translate the experience into practical applications for each organisation.
- 6.4Flexible Departures
Transfers to Baiyun airport (Guangzhou, recommended) or Bao'an (Shenzhen).
Provisional programme. The final version will be shared with participants upon confirmation.
{ In the words of those who participated }
"I gained a full-picture understanding of global tech trends and industrial growth trajectories that define the next wave of innovation."
Ho Wei Hoong · past cohort participant
{ MORE EXPEDITIONS }
Join the open expeditions,
or build your own
Beyond Shenzhen and Guangzhou there are other open programmes — and the option to design one entirely around your company.
Open expedition · 15–20 November 2026
Shanghai & Hangzhou
If Shenzhen and Guangzhou show how China designs and manufactures, Shanghai and Hangzhou show how it sells and consumes.
{ Your Host }
Ashley Dudarenok
Founder of ChoZan
Recognised by Thinkers50 as one of the leading experts on fast-evolving trends in China, Ashley Dudarenok is the author of 11 books on digital China and founder of ChoZan, a consultancy that brands like Disney, LVMH and Shiseido turn to in order to understand the Chinese market.
{ Partner in Europe }
Gabriel Coimbra
Partner at GoingNext
Executive adviser, entrepreneur and investor, Gabriel Coimbra is Partner at GoingNext. Former South Europe Vice-President at IDC and has 25 years of experience in digital transformation, AI and growth strategy.
{ Practical Information }
What you need
to know
Have questions about the expedition? Our team is available to answer all your queries.
Contact us
Flights
To and from China at the participant's expense. We provide route recommendations.
Hotel
5-star accommodation included in the programme, in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Visas
We provide invitation letters and supporting documentation. Application is the participant's responsibility — start at least six weeks in advance.
Language
English as the main language, with professional interpretation in sessions with local specialists.
{ Clients }
The trusted partner of global brands for navigating the future of China
Trusted by Fortune 500 companies
The future doesn't wait.
Neither should you.
China Innovation Expedition gathers only 25 leaders in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, between 6 and 11 December 2026.
China Innovation Expedition is a joint initiative of ChoZan and GoingNext, combining direct access to the Chinese innovation ecosystem with the executive curation of a global community of leaders, decision-makers and investors.
For more information, contact us at start@goingnext.pt
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0: GAC Aion V © Alexander Migl · BYD Seal © User3204 · Shenzhen Bay © Windmemories · light show and Futian skyline © Sparktour · Mavic Air 2 drone © C.Stadler/Bwag · Phantom drone © Suyash Dwivedi · drone delivery © Roksenhorn · Yantian port © Gigel.atat. CC BY-SA 3.0: CRH train © wanghongliu · 3D printer © Jonathan Juursema. CC BY 2.0: UBTECH Alpha 1PRO © Kartverket. Other third-party images are CC0.