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From March 28 to 29, 2026, the 2026 International Conference on Design Innovation and Green Intelligent Manufacturing (DIGIM 2026) was successfully held at Huangshan University. The conference was guided by the World Eco-Design Organization (UN Special Consultative Status NGO), and jointly hosted by the National Eco-Industrial Design Institute (EIDI) and Huangshan University. During the same period, the 2026 Inaugural National Roundtable Forum for Deans of Design Institutions on “Design·Ecology” (NRFDD 2026), was also convened. Focusing on digital transformation and sustainable development, the event brought together leading experts, scholars, and industry representatives to explore innovative pathways for empowering design innovation and driving industrial transformation through digital intelligence and green manufacturing.
Event Highlights
The opening ceremony of the main forum was chaired by Prof. Jiang Hong, Vice President of Huangshan University. Li Tiefan, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Huangshan University, delivered the opening address, extending a warm welcome to distinguished guests and scholars. Liu Li, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee, presented the Best Organization Awards. Outstanding organizations and academic papers were also recognized. In addition, the conference witnessed the inauguration of the Design Innovation and Green Intelligent Manufacturing Research Centerof the National Eco-Industrial Design Institute (EIDI) and the launch ceremony of a group standard project.
Inauguration Ceremony of the Design Innovation and Green Intelligent Manufacturing Research Center
Awards Ceremony
Following the opening ceremony, the keynote session, chaired by Prof. Wang Zhenya from Shandong University, featured in-depth presentations by five leading figures from academia and industry on cutting-edge topics in the field of design.
Keynote Speech by Prof. He Xiaoyou
Prof. He Xiaoyou, former Vice President of Nanjing University of the Arts, presented a speech about Intelligent Creation for the Future: Foundational Cognition of Innovative Design Education, conducted an in-depth analysis of the core logic and underlying principles of innovative design education, providing forward-looking insights for design talent development and educational reform.
Keynote Speech by Prof. Peng Lu
Prof. Peng Lu, Dean of the School of Fashion at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, interpreted the core value of design in the development of major countries and explored how design can empower the implementation of national strategies and the upgrading of industrial value.
Keynote Speech by Mr. Wang Zhengzhong
Mr. Wang Zhengzhong, President of Shanghai Changhui Investment Management (Group) Co., Ltd., delivered a speech titled Green Intelligent Manufacturing: Industrial Upgrading in the Era of Virtual-Real Integration, and analyzed the core pathways for industrial upgrading in the context of virtual-physical integration and shared practical experiences of how green intelligent manufacturing drives high-quality industrial development.
Keynote Speech by Ms. Wang Fei
Ms. Wang Fei, Co-founder of Hangzhou Deep Thinking Co., Ltd., examined the emergence of intelligent digital innovation, explored pathways for the deep integration of artificial intelligence and design, and envisioned a transformative future for the design industry empowered by AI.
Keynote Speech by Prof. Ying Fangtian
Prof. Ying Fangtian, Fellow of the European Academy of Engineering, Director General of WEDO, and Professor at Zhejiang University, elaborated on the role of eco-design as a core driver and its key functions and practical directions in promoting global green development and achieving sustainability goals from a global sustainable development perspective.
The conference featured a poster exhibition and two parallel sub-forums, closely focusing on three core themes, including sustainable design innovation driven by digital intelligence, green transformation of manufacturing led by new productivity paradigms, and ecological upgrading of the cultural and tourism industry through digital empowerment. Scholars presented their unique research findings and academic insights, fully showcasing their innovative spirit and scholarly excellence.
Sub-Forum Highlights
Concurrent with the academic conference, the 2026 Inaugural National Roundtable Forum for Deans of Design Institutions on “Design·Ecology” (NRFDD 2026) was successfully held on the afternoon of March 28 at Huangshan Xinyuan International Hotel. The forum, under the theme of New Ecology: Regenerating Design Education Paradigms in the Context of Digital Evolution and Cultural Transformation, focused on the transformation of design education paradigms and the innovation of design talent cultivation models in response to opportunities from digital evolution and the demands of cultural development.
Event Highlights
The forum was chaired by Prof. Cao Xianghui of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Liu Li, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of Huangshan University, and Prof. Deng Rong of Jiangnan University delivered the opening remarks. The latest academic updates were subsequently announced, followed by the inauguration of the Cultural Industry Committee of the World Eco-Design Organization.
Inauguration Ceremony of the Cultural Industry Committee
Keynote Speeches
At the forum, Prof. Wang Zhenya of Shandong University, Prof. Cao Ming of Jiangnan University, Prof. Lv Jiefeng of Wuhan University of Technology, and Deputy Dean, Associate Prof. Liang Jun of the School of Arts at Huangshan University shared cutting-edge insights on the reconstruction of the design education ecosystem and the integration of industry and education. In the subsequent roundtable discussion, deans from design institutions across the country engaged in lively debates on four core topics: platform development, industry-academia-research collaboration, international relations, and the development trends of design disciplines, exchanging ideas and envisioning the future. This roundtable provided an effective platform for collaborative development and resource sharing in the field of design education.
Roundtable Discussion Scene
On the morning of March 29, experts and scholars from across the country conducted comprehensive, multi-dimensional field visits and on-site exchanges at the Changhui Automotive National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory, focusing on the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application. In the afternoon, they visited the Huizhou-style Woodcarving Art Museum and the Super Factory of Huangshan Xiao Guan Tea Co., Ltd., exploring the preservation and transmission of intangible cultural heritage within the context of modern design, as well as the application of contemporary industrial design in the traditional tea industry and pathways for its ecological upgrading.
Group Photo of the Site Visit
Held against the backdrop of global digital transformation and sustainable development, the conference not only explored innovative pathways for the deep integration of cutting-edge technologies and design, but also provided valuable theoretical support and practical solutions for the development of new liberal arts disciplines in design schools and the innovation of design talent cultivation models, carrying profound significance for the high-quality development of related disciplines.
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