Themed around "new materials and new strategy navigate future", the Xiamen New Materials Industrial Convention was held on July 9, in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province.

The event was guided by Xiamen industry and information technology bureau and Xiamen bureau of science and technology, and was held by Xiamen New Materials Industry Association. More than 100 entrepreneurs from all parts of the new materials industrial chain, technical specialists in related areas, and investment institutes were invited to discuss the future trends of high-end manufacturing and the development of the new materials industry. 

In addition, a couple of Xiamen-based enterprises signed cooperation agreements with China's top universities. For example, Xiamen Tungsten Co collaborated with Ningbo University on a rare earth optoelectronic material experiment project, and Professor Chen Furong's team from the City University of Hong Kong joined forces with Xiamen GBS Optronics Co on a smart glass project. 

Materials, information, and new energy are the three pillar industries of modern technology. Recent years have seen Western countries initiating the "reindustrialization strategy", in which traditional industrial sectors will revive and prosper under the government's guidance. These countries have consistently regarded the new materials as essential to boosting the real economy and to possessing the first-mover advantage in the new round of global technological and economic competition. 

It has been calculated that, at present, Xiamen is home to more than 550 materials firms, with 235 above designated size. They occupy key fields such as special metals, optoelectronic information materials, new energy materials, advanced macromolecular materials, and composite materials. 

The city also has 34 corporate technical centers, eight engineering technology research centers, 23 key laboratories, and many research teams at universities.