The international exhibition on plastics and rubber industries, CHINAPLAS 2026, will be held from April 21 to 24, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai, China. Under the theme "Transformation · Collaboration · Sustainability," the event will span over 390,000 square meters and gather more than 4,600 exhibitors worldwide to showcase the latest initiatives in advanced materials, smart manufacturing, and environmental sustainability.

Highlighted Materials for New Energy Vehicles and Aerospace

At CHINAPLAS 2026, material technologies for emerging industries such as New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), the Low-Altitude Economy (LAE), aerospace, and humanoid robotics will be a primary focus.

In the NEV sector, which recorded a production volume of 16.6 million units and sales of 16.5 million units in 2025, material solutions for batteries, charging infrastructure, and drive systems are emerging. The exhibition will feature Rianlon’s advanced polymer antioxidants for battery systems and DOMO’s "TECHNYL PURE" engineering plastics for high-voltage environments.

For the LAE, including electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, exhibits will feature Covestro’s high-CTI polycarbonate (PC) and Kingfa’s flame-retardant composite panels, which can withstand 1,200°C for 30 minutes and self-extinguish within 10 seconds of flame removal.

In the aerospace sector, Syensqo's "MTM46" epoxy resin system for extreme environments, which achieves approximately a 30% weight reduction compared to metals, will be highlighted. Also featured are PEEK and PEKK, which offer excellent high-temperature, radiation, and chemical resistance for satellite structural components, cable insulation, and engine seals; phenolic resins with high char yield and excellent processability for commercial solid rocket nozzles; and Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP), a key material for high-frequency satellite communication components due to its low dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, and excellent high-temperature performance.

Regarding the robotics sector, China's domestic spending exceeded USD 1.4 billion in 2025. In addition to PEEK and PPS, which replace metal parts in robot joints, gears, and bearings, materials for artificial muscles will be introduced. These include Lushan New Materials’ bimodal electronic skin and Dawn Group’s ultra-soft TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomers) with a Shore hardness of 0A, suitable for core components like robotic joint actuators.

Smart Manufacturing via AI Technology

The integration of AI in manufacturing processes is also a major theme at CHINAPLAS 2026. Good Vision & Motion will demonstrate a high-speed quality inspection system that integrates AI algorithms to complete product evaluations in milliseconds. Jeenar will present an AI valve-bag inspection system that detects defects during production, and ENGEL will showcase "injectAI," an AI-equipped process monitoring system that automatically analyzes over 1,000 parameters in real-time to identify production deviations.

Environmental Sustainability and the Circular Economy

Initiatives toward a circular economy for plastics, including recycling technologies and bio-based materials, are drawing significant attention.

BASF, in collaboration with Porsche and BSR, will display the results of a project that uses gasification technology to convert mixed waste—such as plastics and foams recovered from end-of-life vehicles—into syngas and derivatives, reusing them as polyurethane raw materials for new steering wheels. Boretech will introduce chemical recycling systems using glycolysis, microwave alcoholysis, and solvent processes for PET, PP, PE, and composite or dyed plastics.

CHINAPLAS 2026, held in the first year of China's "15th Five-Year Plan," is currently accepting pre-registrations. Admission tickets are priced at USD 7.5.