Chongqing - China’s geospatial industry will gather in Chongqing from October 14 to 16 for the 2026 China Geographic Information Industry Conference, as AI, 3D mapping and spatial intelligence drive new applications in smart cities and the low-altitude economy.
The cityscape of Chongqing. (Photo/Zhong Ge)
Held at the Chongqing Yongchuan International Convention and Exhibition Center, the conference marks the first time Chongqing has hosted the annual event. Since launching in 2011, it has become one of China's largest and most influential national events for the geographic information industry.
Xinglong Lake Park in Yongchuan District, Chongqing. (Photo/Yongchuan District)
At a press conference on October 12, Cao Chunhua, director of the Chongqing Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, said the conference will bring together experts, companies and industry representatives to discuss emerging technologies, share research achievements and showcase new products. It will also feature the third Geospatial High-Tech Achievement Exhibition, along with business matchmaking and industry exchange activities.
Geospatial technologies move into new industries
An autonomous vehicle drives on a road in Yongchuan District, Chongqing. (Photo/Yongchuan District)
Key discussions at the conference will focus on AI-driven industrial transformation, real-world 3D models, data security, and how spatial information can support new economic sectors.
The event will also release the China Geographic Information Industry Development Report (2026) and recognize achievements in geographic information science and engineering, providing industry references at the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
For Chongqing, hosting the conference supports the city's broader push to strengthen its digital infrastructure.
The city is developing a "spatial foundation" for Digital Chongqing, a digital governance initiative that uses data and technology to improve urban management.
Geospatial technologies already support applications such as urban planning, transportation management, and community services. By integrating spatial data with AI and other technologies, Chongqing aims to improve decision-making in a mountainous city with complex terrain.
Yongchuan develops a geospatial innovation ecosystem
The conference venue, Yongchuan District, is positioning itself as a hub for geospatial innovation.
Guan Zhongxiao, secretary of the CPC Yongchuan District Committee, said the event provides an opportunity to attract more companies, projects, technologies and talent.
Yongchuan is developing four major platforms: a geospatial exchange and cooperation center, a technology innovation center, a data application center and an equipment manufacturing center.
The district has attracted more than 20 companies, including Baidu, Mxnavi, and Zhengyuan Geomatics, and has built Chongqing's first data-set construction and application base, as well as a core data-labeling base in southwest China. Its geospatial-related industries have reached nearly 20 billion yuan (about 3 billion U.S. dollars).
Yongchuan is also combining geospatial data with artificial intelligence to support new applications.
The district has built a city-level real-world 3D digital foundation covering 175 square kilometers, with 1,547 kilometers of high-precision road data and 2,000 kilometers of 3D digital pipeline data. These resources are used in AI-assisted urban planning, mine supervision, and forest fire prevention.
The district has also been selected as a national pilot city for data labeling, an industry that supports AI development by preparing training data.
With applications ranging from intelligent vehicles and the low-altitude economy to urban governance, Yongchuan is seeking to create more scenarios for technology companies to test and commercialize solutions.
As China advances digital transformation across industries, Chongqing's geospatial sector is becoming part of a wider effort to connect data, technology, and real-world applications.