SHIJIAZHUANG, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Government, business and academic representatives on Tuesday called for stronger innovation and closer integration of technological and industrial development at the 2026 Future Industry Innovation and Development Conference.

The conference, held in Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province, focused on aerospace information and satellite internet, the digital economy and artificial intelligence, new materials and other fields. Participants called for efforts to foster new industries, business models and sources of growth.

Wang Qinmin, head of the national experts panel on e-government affairs, said developing future industries was vital to cultivating new quality productive forces and building a modern industrial system. He urged efforts to advance practical cooperation and help transform innovative ideas into productive forces.

Hebei Governor Wang Zhengpu said the province has introduced policies including an "AI Plus" action plan and is seeing positive momentum in future industries.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Hebei will coordinate the development of future industries, strengthen innovation platforms and channel more resources to enterprises, he said.

Lyu Yansong, editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, said Xiong'an offered a firsthand view of the momentum generated by technological innovation. Xinhua will leverage its global reach to enhance public understanding of future industries and provide information services, he said.

China ranked first in the 2025 Global Future Industries Index, performing well in industrial implementation, policy responsiveness and the expansion of application scenarios, according to technology consulting firm ICV TAnK.

The China Academy of Industrial Internet estimates that China's future industries will reach 15.5 trillion yuan (about 2.3 trillion U.S. dollars) in output value in 2026, representing an average annual compound growth rate of about 15 percent.

The conference was hosted by Xinhuanet Co., Ltd. and co-organized by its Hebei branch and the Xinhuanet Low-Altitude Economy Research Institute.