Shanghai, February 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan unfolds, a vibrant new vision for innovation and development in the rubber and plastics industry is set to take shape at CHINAPLAS 2026, the International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber. The draft proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan emphasize fostering and expanding emerging and future industries, further opening up to the world at a high level, and steadfastly pursuing intelligent, green, and integrated development—actions that not only create ample room for the high-quality growth of the rubber and plastics sector but also help the exhibition pinpoint its strategic priorities.

As a premier platform for showcasing the latest advancements in rubber and plastics manufacturing, bridging supply and demand, and fostering industry collaboration, CHINAPLAS 2026 will unfold across an expansive 390,000+ square meters, serving as a real‑world “living laboratory” for translating policies into action and a vital window into emerging industry trends and technological directions. With the theme “Transform, Collaborate, Co‑Create Sustainability,” the event is scheduled to take place from April 21 to 24, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai–Hongqiao), helping the industry seize new opportunities amid the currents of our times.

“CHINAPLAS 2026 International Plastics and Rubber Exhibition” will cover an exhibition area of over 390,000 square meters and take place from April 21 to 24 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Hongqiao) in Shanghai.

         Emerging industries are accelerating their rise, and the rubber and plastics sector is expanding into new growth frontiers.

The “15th Five-Year Plan” proposal explicitly calls for fostering and expanding emerging and future industries, accelerating the development of strategic emerging industry clusters in areas such as new energy, new materials, aerospace, and the low‑altitude economy, and promoting quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen and nuclear fusion energy, brain–computer interfaces, embodied intelligence, and sixth‑generation mobile communications as new drivers of economic growth. The rise of these cutting‑edge fields continues to broaden the application horizons of rubber and plastic materials, while also opening up fresh avenues for growth in the rubber and plastics sector—an essential pillar of manufacturing.

In 2025, China’s production and sales of new-energy vehicles reached 16.626 million and 16.49 million units, up 29% and 28.2% year on year, respectively, marking the 11th consecutive year that the country has ranked first globally. A new generation of material solutions for batteries, charging stations, and electric drive systems is continuously emerging. Li’anlong’s polymer antioxidants and other technologies effectively extend the service life of battery systems and charging equipment under extreme environmental conditions. Domer’s high-purity engineering plastic TECHNYL® PURE, with its outstanding electrical insulation properties and chemical resistance, is well-suited for high-voltage electrical environments.

Ascending into the skies, a trillion‑dollar journey begins. By 2026, the low‑altitude economy is poised for a triple surge—driven by supportive policies, technological breakthroughs, and growing demand. From low‑altitude logistics and cultural‑tourism experiences to emergency response and disaster relief, the “low‑altitude plus” synergy is becoming increasingly evident. Plastics and composite materials have emerged as strategically vital components for low‑altitude aircraft. Covestro’s high CTI polycarbonate delivers robust performance and safety even in demanding electrical environments, ensuring the stable operation of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. Meanwhile, KingPan® flame‑retardant composite panels from Jinfa Technology, featuring a high glass‑fiber content and achieving V‑0 flame retardancy, withstand temperatures up to 1,200°C, endure continuous burning for 30 minutes, and boast outstanding characteristics such as no dripping and self‑extinguishing within 10 seconds of removing the ignition source—making them ideal for critical components in low‑altitude aircraft.

The explosive growth of the commercial space sector has generated enormous demand for advanced materials and equipment. As of December 2025, China has submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) deployment plans for ultra-large satellite constellations totaling more than 200,000 satellites, signaling that China’s low-orbit satellite‑internet infrastructure is entering a phase of substantial acceleration. “Lightweight yet high‑strength” carbon‑fiber‑reinforced nylon composites have emerged as a groundbreaking choice for satellite support structures; PEEK and PEKK, with their outstanding resistance to high temperatures, radiation, and chemical corrosion, are suitable for satellite structural components, cable insulation, and engine seals; phenolic resins, owing to their high char yield and excellent processability, are ideal for commercial solid‑rocket nozzles; and LCP, with its low dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, and superior thermal stability, has become a key material for high‑frequency communication components in satellites. Shisuo Ke’s lightweight composite materials can replace aerospace structural metals; its prepregs and MTM46 epoxy resin system, specifically developed for extreme environments, outperform metals in stiffness, impact resistance, and thermal performance. Using these materials to manufacture payload fairings reduces weight by approximately 30% compared with metal, significantly cutting launch fuel consumption, increasing payload capacity, and lowering manufacturing costs.

“CHINAPLAS 2026 International Plastics and Rubber Exhibition” precisely captures industry trends, brings together leading global exhibitors, and builds an innovative industrial ecosystem through cutting-edge technological exhibits.

2025 will mark the inaugural year of mass production for humanoid robots, and 2026 is set to usher in a pivotal turning point characterized by large-scale deployment and accelerated commercialization. Humanoid robotics are rapidly shifting from “moving on stage” and “running on the field” to “being used at home” and “working in factories.” According to IDC’s forecast, China’s consumer spending on embodied intelligent robots is expected to exceed US$1.4 billion by 2025, with an annual compound growth rate of 94% over the next five years. In this vast untapped market, breakthroughs in materials technology serve as the cornerstone for scaling up robotic applications, with elastomeric and plastic materials playing an indispensable role. Specialty engineering plastics such as PEEK and PPS—boasting high strength, low density, wear resistance, and self-lubrication—are increasingly replacing metal components in robot joints, gears, bearings, and other key parts. TPE, meanwhile, is well-suited for flexible elements like artificial muscles and synthetic skin. Lushan New Materials has launched a next-generation electro‑responsive, thermally pressurized, dual‑mode electronic skin that can precisely detect extremely subtle forces, such as light touches or pulse vibrations. Dawn Shares has developed an ultra‑soft TPE artificial muscle with a Shore A hardness as low as 0A, offering exceptional softness, superior elasticity, and a dry, non‑slippery surface—making it ideal for core components like robot joint actuators.

“CHINAPLAS 2026 International Plastics and Rubber Exhibition” brings together over 4,600 world-class exhibitors, proactively responding to market demand by showcasing cutting-edge technologies, a wider array of application scenarios, and robust industry vitality, thereby facilitating efficient alignment with the upgrading of traditional industries, the expansion of emerging sectors, and the strategic development of future‑oriented industries.

       Smart upgrades and green transformation: the blueprint is being realized in the industrial landscape.

The “15th Five-Year Plan” proposal calls for the “comprehensive implementation of the ‘AI Plus’ initiative,” aiming to seize the commanding heights in AI‑driven industrial applications and provide all‑round empowerment across thousands of industries. At the very start of 2026, a series of policy measures were rolled out one after another, with localities accelerating the integrated innovation of “AI + Manufacturing.” From upgrading industrial‑chain collaboration to delivering targeted support to small and medium‑sized enterprises, artificial intelligence technologies are now being fully embedded into every stage of the manufacturing process.

Addressing the pain points of traditional manual quality inspection—low efficiency and high error rates—AI not only accurately detects defects down to the micrometer level but also continuously learns and iterates its inspection criteria, leaving no flaw undetected. Gude Vision Control’s high-speed quality‑inspection system, set to debut at CHINAPLAS 2026, leverages cutting‑edge vision technology and a hybrid approach that combines conventional algorithms with AI to enable real-time quality monitoring and defect identification on high‑speed production lines, delivering comprehensive product‑quality assessments in milliseconds. Meanwhile, Xiamen Jina Intelligent’s AI‑powered valve‑bag visual‑inspection system employs advanced AI‑based vision to detect and reject defects during valve‑bag manufacturing, capturing in real time a wide range of anomalies in both incoming web material and the bag‑making process. This reduces labor costs and work intensity while enhancing the stability and consistency of product quality. As AI technology moves deeper into the production front end, it equips machines with “brains,” effectively bringing large‑scale models into the factory floor. Engel has introduced inject AI: its iQ Process Observer system, equipped with AI capabilities, can automatically analyze over 1,000 parameters in real time, precisely identify production deviations, and provide actionable optimization recommendations.

The “15th Five-Year Plan” proposal explicitly calls for “accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.” As an important component of the manufacturing sector, the rubber and plastics industry is leveraging technological innovation to drive green, circular development, building an infinite-loop ecosystem of “production–use–recovery–recycling,” thereby turning “waste” into a “new starting point” for the circular economy. BASF, in collaboration with Porsche and BAST, has completed the world’s first pilot project for recycling mixed end-of-life vehicle waste, pioneering the use of gasification technology to treat complex residues generated after vehicle dismantling—materials that include plastics, films, paints, and foams, traditionally handled through thermal recovery. The feedstocks recovered via the mass balance approach (syngas and its derivatives) replace fossil-based raw materials within BASF’s integrated value chain, enabling the production of polyurethane formulations required for automotive steering wheels and closing the loop from “scrap vehicle components → raw materials → new vehicle parts.” Baolüte has tailored three distinct “regeneration solutions”—glycolysis, microwave alcoholysis, and solvent‑based methods—for different types of plastic waste. These approaches address PET, PP, PE, as well as composite and dyed plastics, establishing a comprehensive and highly efficient chemical recycling system that transforms waste plastics into high‑quality recycled feedstocks.

Recycled plastics, bio-based materials, biodegradable plastics, recycling technologies, digital solutions, and high-efficiency, energy-saving production equipment will be among the exhibition’s highlights. The CHINAPLAS 2026 International Plastics and Rubber Exhibition will bring the smart, green future envisioned in the 15th Five-Year Plan to life through immersive, real-world demonstrations.

“CHINAPLAS 2026 International Plastics and Rubber Exhibition” will bring the smart, green future to life through immersive, real‑world demonstrations.

        Expanding high-standard opening-up, the Global Rubber and Plastics Pavilion is increasingly demonstrating its value.

The year 2026 marks the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and a pivotal moment for China to continue demonstrating resilience and dynamism amid a complex international economic environment. The plan’s recommendations on “expanding high-standard opening-up” call for “broadening space for two-way investment cooperation” and “guiding the rational and orderly cross-border deployment of industrial and supply chains.” Today, Chinese enterprises have moved beyond simply exporting products to a new stage of “going global with entire industrial chains” and “building overseas ecosystems.” For instance, BYD has established a manufacturing plant in Hungary; SAIC Group has partnered with local Turkish firms to set up a production facility; CATL has launched its third European battery factory in Spain; Jinfa Technology has achieved large-scale production in Vietnam and Spain while actively advancing the development of overseas bases in Poland, Mexico, South Africa, and other regions; and Yizhimi has set up subsidiaries in 12 countries and regions, including Germany, the United States, India, Turkey, and Mexico. By the end of 2025, China had established more than 50,000 overseas enterprises spanning 190 countries and regions.

As Chinese enterprises accelerate their “going global” strategy to tap into new overseas markets, foreign-invested firms continue to ramp up their presence in China. By 2025, China’s actual utilized foreign investment is expected to reach RMB 747.69 billion, with 70,392 newly established foreign-invested enterprises—up 19.1% year on year. France’s Faurecia Group has increased investment and expanded production in Changshu, Jiangsu; BASF’s integrated Zhanjiang site has commissioned an ethylene cracker with an annual capacity of 1 million tonnes; and Covestro has inaugurated a state-of-the-art thermoplastic polyurethane production facility in Zhuhai.

Under the dual‑directional framework of “going global” and “bringing in,” the pivotal role of international trade platforms is becoming increasingly prominent. As a core platform for face-to-face technological exchange and business matchmaking, trade shows effectively break down information barriers, foster industry-wide consensus, and strengthen collaborative innovation. The CHINAPLAS International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber has built a vital bridge, providing Chinese companies with tangible channels to access overseas markets and meet regional demands, while also offering foreign enterprises a window into China’s manufacturing prowess and innovative capabilities. After years of steady growth, the event has cultivated strong appeal among global exhibitors and buyers, establishing itself as a global hub for the plastics and rubber industries and continuing to draw participants and visitors from around the world.

        Register now to seize the initiative in development.

Standing at the new starting point of the 15th Five-Year Plan, CHINAPLAS 2026 will comprehensively showcase the rising tide of innovative productivity in the rubber and plastics industries, helping the sector accurately grasp macroeconomic trends, keenly identify emerging opportunities, and efficiently connect with key resources. We cordially invite the entire industry to join this premier event and work together to write a new chapter of high-quality development for the rubber and plastics sector.

Pre-registration for exhibition visitors is now in full swing! Please visit the official website to register in advance. The pre‑registration fee is RMB 50, and upon completion you will receive an electronic visitor pass (for mainland Chinese visitors) or an electronic confirmation letter (for visitors from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas).

Article excerpted from: PR Newswire