On May 21, the 2026 Global Digital Economy Congress (GDEC) – Beijing Municipal Administrative Center Design Industry High-Quality Development Forum, namely the 2026 Textile & Apparel Creative Design Development Conference will be held in Tongzhou District, Beijing.



Full spectrum of government, industry, and academia

The 2026 Textile & Apparel Creative Design Development Conference brings together a distinguished think tank of leading figures from ministries, local governments, industry associations, universities, and top-tier enterprises across fields such as industrial research, creative design, technology R&D, digital applications, and brand building.

Leaders from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Beijing Municipal Government, Tongzhou District, and the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) will offer forward-looking guidance from national policy, regional industrial advantages, and overall industry development.

Yan Yan, Vice Chairman of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and Vice President of CNTAC, will present a report on how creative design can become a growth engine for the industry, blending global perspectives with local practice.

Pioneering practice for the future

As digital technologies deeply integrate into the industry, the core logic of textile and apparel design is being redefined. Xiao Lihua, former Vice President of Alibaba Group, will unpack how digital tools reduce R&D costs, enable agile supply chain responses, and achieve precision marketing.

Other famous entrepreneurs, including Ao Xin, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Television Production Committee; Shi Ruoyun, Head of Outdoor Product Management at Li-Ning; Zhang Lei, R&D Director at Yuyue Home Textile; and Yang Xiaoyuan, Director of Jiangsu Bioda Life Science—will share practical insights and forward-looking visions across a spectrum of cross-sector innovation and breakthroughs.

Top 10 Textile Innovations of 2025 to be unveiled

The event will unveil the Top 10 Textile Innovations of 2025, covering ten categories: Intangible Cultural Heritage, Digital Technology, Sports Products, Functional Products, Baby & Maternal Products, Elderly Products, Protective Products, Hygiene Products, Low-Carbon Products, and more—showcasing the latest achievements of Chinese textile and apparel enterprises in creative design and technology integration.

On-the-Ground visit to the design industry ecosystem

During the conference, Tongzhou District and the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT) will present their design industry planning, supporting policies, and innovation ecosystem, demonstrating the district’s commitment to building a powerful engine for the design industry.

To foster deeper industry exchange and bring resources to fruition, the conference will organize a site visit to the design industry frontline of the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, including the Dongfang Yizhen Filigree Inlay Factory, Beijing Future Design Lab, and the Tongzhou Campus & Exhibition of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.

In addition, a District-School-Enterprise Matchmaking and Business Negotiation Meeting will be held at BIFT’s Tongzhou Campus. The session will focus on industrial policy implementation, collaborative talent development between universities and enterprises, and production-academia-research cooperation, aligning policy dividends, academic expertise, and corporate needs—injecting fresh momentum into the development of Tongzhou District’s design industry.