The world's second largest industrial fair, the 2016 China International Industry Fair, got underway on Oct 31 with an opening ceremony at the cavernous National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.

The opening ceremony of the 2016 China International Industry Fair is held on Oct 31 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. [Photo/miit.gov.cn]

This year's event will feature more than 2,300 exhibitors from China and around the world spread out over an exhibition space of more than 270,000 square meters, the equivalent of nearly 30 soccer fields.

This space is divided into eight exhibitions, including Environmental Protection Technology & Equipment Show, Information and Communication Technology Show and Robotics Show.

Forums and conferences themed around innovation, emerging industries and robotics will also be taking place this year for the first time.

The exhibition area for universities and colleges has been beefed up this year, covering a total of 6,408 square meters and featuring booths from 69 different Chinese universities and colleges, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Nanjing University and Fudan University. Six foreign universities are also taking part in the exhibition, showcasing their latest research achievements.

Another highlight will be the CIIF product and innovation awards. The fair has received a host of high-profile entries for the prizes, including a new solar-powered aircraft and the Tiangong II space laboratory.

The 18th China International Industry Fair

Venue: National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)

Date: Nov 1 to 4, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm; Nov 5 from 9:30 am to 4:00pm

For more information, please visit the official website of CIIF (http://www.ciif-expo.com/).