GSMA announces 17 new strategic partnerships ahead of MWC26 Shanghai

Shanghai, 30 October 2025: The GSMA has announced 17 new strategic partnerships for MWC26 Shanghai with industry-leading, global companies and operators China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, and China BroadNet.

Other partners announced include leading technology businesses such as CICT, HONOR, Huawei, Lenovo, Qualcomm, YOFC, and ZTE, alongside key organisations, including 5G-ACIA, AIIA, CHINA EV100, GTI, Mobile World Capital, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).   

As MWC Shanghai continues to grow in scale and impact in China and Asia Pacific, the GSMA, the organiser of MWC Shanghai, has evolved the event as a platform to advance the global innovation ecosystem, powered by the region’s technological leadership. Each strategic partner brings industry and technological leadership and will take an essential role in shaping MWC26 Shanghai. 

Sihan Bo Chen, Head of Greater China, GSMA said: “In Chinese culture, 12 years is a complete cycle and with the 13th edition of MWC Shanghai, we invite the global digital ecosystem to enter a new, transformative era with us. MWC is the ideal platform to showcase China and Asia Pacific’s tech innovation – from robotics and AI to 5G-Advanced and 6G - to an international audience. We are grateful to our strategic partners for their collaboration and strong endorsement. I look forward to announcing new partners in due course and welcoming our partners and attendees to MWC Shanghai in June 2026, where every conversation has the potential to spark something truly exciting.”

Introducing MWC26 Shanghai 

Thought leadership themes such as Intelligent Infrastructure, ConnectAI and AI4Enterprise will shape next year’s agenda, which will include the main conference, summits, the GSMA Policy Leaders Forum and 4YFN spaces.

MWC26 will also feature brand new zones, including: 

• Mobile AI Innovation Frontiers: anchored in Asia’s largest operator ecosystem who are deploying 5G-A and edge networks to make AI ubiquitous, low-latency and energy-efficient, this zone will bring together the full stack of mobile-first AI to create the definitive showcase of intelligent transformation. It will feature live demos of bleeding-edge chipsets, hyperscale AI servers, frontier models, and AI-native hardware including glasses, robots, toys, phones and cars.
• Constellations of the Future: In a new initiative timed ahead of the ITU WRC-27 in Shanghai, MWC26 Shanghai will debut Constellations of the Future, a pioneering initiative featuring non-terrestrial networks (NTN), direct-to-device (D2D) and satellite convergence. This feature is the GSMA’s first dedicated satellite industry zone, complemented by expert-led discussions and debates on the evolution of satellite and mobile convergence.  
• Global Innovation Pavilion: designed as a centrepiece of international collaboration, the pavilion will provide a space for countries, regions and industry associations to connect with technology markets across China and Asia Pacific.
• City Pavilions: The GSMA invites Chinese and international cities to participate by establishing independent City Pavilions. These pavilions will serve as a platform for cities to showcase their technological and economic successes, promote local industries, attract external investment, and engage in peer learning regarding best practices.
• Digital Transformation Vertical Zones: These dedicated zones are designed to showcase digital innovation as it reshapes core industry verticals. The focus includes solutions across key sectors such as intelligent connected vehicles, the low-altitude economy, smart manufacturing, healthcare, education, sports, entertainment, and fintech, illustrating current trends in industrial transformation. 

This week, the GSMA Board also met for its annual meeting in Chengdu, China. Vivek Badrinath, Director General, GSMA said: “China is an industry-leading market, particularly in terms of 5G roll-out and utilisation. I’ve had a range of insightful and productive conversations this week with the GSMA Board and our new strategic MWC Shanghai partners from across the mobile and technology ecosystem. These discussions focused on the breadth of innovation – from 5G monetisation, satellite and NTN, through to the impact of the GSMA’s Open Gateway, and Mobile AI – and I thank them for their collaboration and support.” 

Join us 

The previous edition, MWC25 Shanghai, welcomed 45,000 in-person attendees from 12,500 companies and 128 countries and territories. Find out more information about how you can get involved in MWC26 Shanghai as an exhibitor or sponsor. MWC26 Shanghai will return from 24-26 June 2026. Register you interest to attend here, and stay up to date with the latest news at the press zone.  

Elsewhere in the GSMA event calendar, registration is open for the inaugural MWC25 Doha, taking place 25-26 November this year. MWC Doha will debut the GSMA Digital Leaders Programme (DLP) in the Middle East, an exclusive invite-only forum that has its origins in MWC Shanghai and MWC Barcelona. It aims to drive cross-sectoral and regional collaboration by convening influential tech leaders for constructive discussions among the C-Suite from the global digital ecosystem, verticals and policymakers. The DLP agenda will include roundtable discussions about how AI is reshaping digital infrastructure, exploring strategies to accelerate ecosystem innovations and growth. 

MWC Doha will be followed by MWC26 Barcelona, 2-5 March 2026 and M360 ASEAN, 9-10 September 2026. 

-ENDS- 

About GSMA 

The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events. 

We invite you to find out more at gsma.com

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