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PolicyFrontier AIAutonomy
PolicyFrontier AIAutonomy
PolicyFrontier AIAutonomy
PolicyFrontier AIAutonomy
China Innovation Expedition
Beijing decides.
Shanghai applies.
Beijing
Shanghai
Shanghai
Six days between the city where Chinese technology policy is written and the city where it meets the market, with ChoZan × GoingNext and a curated group of leaders, founders and investors from Europe.
5 to 10 September 2027
Register interest
New route · 25 seats.
Six days between the city that decides
and the city that applies.
Chinese technology is not only built, it is also governed. Compute allocation, data rules and pilot zones decide what scales and what never leaves the lab, and those decisions are made in Beijing. Shanghai is where the consequences show up: in consumer products, in capital, and on the street. This route puts the two cities back-to-back so you read cause and effect in the same week, not as two separate stories.
Small group. Big conversations. Real insight.
If you want to understand the future,
start where it's already decided.
Why this route
Most delegations see the product. This one sees the decision behind it.
Beijing is where national priorities are set: how compute and data are allocated, which pilot zones are opened, which technologies are allowed to scale. Zhongguancun, between Tsinghua, Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is where the frontier labs sit.
Shanghai is where it all meets the market: consumer AI, social commerce, embodied robotics and the capital that funds both ends. Reading the two cities in one week is reading cause and effect.
4h18
Beijing to Shanghai by high-speed rail, 1,318 km apart. One decides, the other applies, in a single working week.
+250,000
Professionals in Shanghai's AI talent pool, about one-third of China's total.
9
Organisations across the two cities on the intended agenda, from frontier model labs to robotaxi fleets and global platforms.
25
Seats, one room: a curated group of European leaders, founders and investors travelling together.
The point is not to admire Chinese speed. It is to understand who decides, where it is applied, and what that means for your industry.
Two cities,
cause and effect
Four hours apart by rail, Beijing and Shanghai show the two ends of the same system: the city where technology policy is written and the city where it meets the market.
Beijing
Where it is decided. Policy and regulation, frontier model labs, and the Zhongguancun belt between Tsinghua, Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Shanghai
Where it is applied. Consumer AI, social commerce, embodied robotics and the capital that funds both ends of the market.
The four themes
What you will be reading for
Every visit, briefing and dialogue on this route answers one of four questions.
Policy & regulation
How national priorities are set, how compute and data are allocated, and how pilot zones decide what is allowed to scale.
Frontier models
The labs training at the edge, what their architectures cost to run, and how enterprise adoption is actually sold in China.
Autonomous mobility
Driverless fleets carrying paying passengers in two cities, and the vertical integration behind the vehicles themselves.
Platforms & capital
Global platform strategy, community-led commerce, and where investors are putting money into AI and robotics.
Who it's for
Built for the people who
decide what comes next
Twenty-five seats, one room: a curated group of European leaders who set direction, allocate capital and build what comes next.
-
The Executive
CEO · CTO · CAIO · CDO · CIO
-
The Founder
Founder · Co-founder · Managing Partner
-
The Investor
Venture Capital · Private Equity · Family Office
-
The Innovation Leader
Innovation · R&D · Strategy · Digital
Investment
China Innovation Expedition: Beijing & Shanghai
{New route}
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.
6.950 €
25 seats · registrations open
Next tiers
Register interest
- Early-bird7.950 €
- Standard8.950 €
Only 25 seats.
An all-inclusive programme,
with no hidden costs.
What's included
6-day programme of visits, briefings and sessions- Five nights in five-star hotels, Beijing and Shanghai
- Transfer between Beijing and Shanghai by high-speed rail
- Ground transport throughout the programme
- Breakfasts, working lunches and the group dinners listed
- Simultaneous interpretation where required
- Hosting by Ashley Dudarenok and the GoingNext team
Does not include international flights, visa fees, travel and health insurance, meals not listed and personal expenses.
Intended hosts
Who you are meant to be in the room with
Companies shown are indicative. Visits depend on each company's agenda and availability, so the final line-up may vary.
The 6-Day Agenda
The agenda, day by day
Companies named below are the intended hosts for this edition. Visits are confirmed progressively, so treat the agenda as provisional until the final programme is issued.
5 to 10 September 2027
01
DAY 1 · BEIJING
Arrival and framing
- 1.1Arrival & Check-in
Arrivals through the morning, with European flights landing between 9am and 1pm. Check-in at a five-star hotel.
- 1.2Opening Keynote — Ashley Dudarenok
Chinese ecosystems, applied AI, robotics and what has changed in the last twelve months.
- 1.3Framing Briefing — Two Cities
Why Beijing decides and Shanghai applies, and what to look for in each visit.
- 1.4Welcome Dinner
An evening of connection, with an optional evening walk.
02
DAY 2 · BEIJING
Policy, research and frontier models
- 2.1Closed-door Briefing — AI Policy and Regulation
How national priorities, compute, data and pilot zones are set, and what that determines about which technologies scale.
- 2.2Visit — Zhongguancun Science City
The axis between Tsinghua, Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the start-up fabric that comes out of it.
- 2.3Dialogue — Frontier Model Team (Zhipu AI intended)
Architecture, cost of training and enterprise adoption strategy.
- 2.4Debrief & Dinner
Consolidation of the day's insights, followed by dinner.
03
DAY 3 · BEIJING → SHANGHAI
Hardware, autonomy and global platforms
- 3.1Industrial Visit — Yizhuang (Xiaomi EV plant intended)
Vertical integration between phone, home and car.
- 3.2Experience — Driverless Robotaxi (Baidu Apollo Go intended)
A driverless ride in the Yizhuang pilot zone.
- 3.3Senior Conversation — ByteDance Headquarters
Global strategy and frontier exploration.
- 3.4High-Speed Train — Beijing → Shanghai
1,318 km in 4h18, with check-in in Shanghai in the evening.
04
DAY 4 · SHANGHAI
Consumption, community and social commerce
- 4.1Visit — RedNote (Xiaohongshu)
How community and commerce are built into the same product, and what that implies for European brands.
- 4.2Session — AI for an Ageing Population
Care ecosystems, exoskeletons and humanised health technology.
- 4.3Hands-on — Instant Retail with Meituan
A real order delivered to the hotel in roughly thirty minutes.
- 4.4Evening Walk — The Bund
From the historic waterfront to the Pudong towers, and dinner.
05
DAY 5 · SHANGHAI
Robotics and autonomous mobility
- 5.1Visit — AgiBot
Embodied AI and general-purpose humanoids, with a full-stack body-plus-model approach.
- 5.2Experience — Autonomous Robotaxi (Pony.ai intended)
A fully autonomous ride in Shanghai traffic.
- 5.3Experience — Multi-brand Electric Vehicle Hub
A test drive of two or three models of your choosing.
- 5.4Strategic Debrief & Dinner
Consolidation of the day's learnings, followed by dinner.
06
DAY 6 · SHANGHAI
Models, capital and close
- 6.1Dialogue — Shanghai Model House (MiniMax intended)
How you compete in frontier models from outside Beijing.
- 6.2Conversation — Investors
Where capital is going in Chinese AI and robotics, and how foreign capital enters.
- 6.3Closing Session — China Today
Economy, politics and outlook, followed by a group reflection to consolidate practical applications.
- 6.4Farewell Lunch & Departures
Departures from early afternoon.
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 Beijing and Shanghai there are other open programmes — and the option to design one entirely around your company.
6–11 Dec 2026 Last places
Shenzhen & Guangzhou
If Beijing and Shanghai show how China decides and applies, Shenzhen and Guangzhou show how it designs and manufactures.
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. She opens the expedition and reads each visit back against what is actually changing in the 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 with 25 years of experience in digital transformation, AI and growth strategy, he leads the European side of the programme, from the composition of the group to the practical translation of each session into decisions back home.
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 and the arrival window for Day 1.
Hotels
Five nights in five-star hotels, included. Three in Beijing, two in Shanghai.
Visas
At the participant's expense. We issue the invitation letters and supporting documents for the application.
Language
The programme runs in English. Interpretation is provided wherever a session is held in Mandarin.
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.
Twenty-five seats in Beijing and Shanghai, 5 to 10 September 2027. Register your interest and you will be first to receive the confirmed agenda.
