UNDP in China and World Innovative Cities Cooperation Organization (WICCO) will co-host the 2025 Shenzhen innovation week: reimagining the future of megacities from 7 to 10 November. This event is a flagship platform to reimagine the future of megacities through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Date: 7 – 10 November 2025 (tentative)
Location: Shenzhen, China
Background
Megacities drive innovation and economic growth while facing mounting pressures from climate change, inequality, and resource constraints. Shenzhen, a megacity itself, has been actively exploring how technological progress, cultural creativity, and sustainable development can be integrated to shape the future of urban living.
The event will convene policymakers, international organisations, academics, entrepreneurs, creatives, and youth leaders to exchange perspectives and co-create solutions on megacities’ future.
Agenda
The event seeks to showcase best practices and foster cross-sectoral collaboration, engage the public, and open new spaces for imagination and experimentation.
- Day 1: high-level dialogues and intercity exchanges.
- Day 2: the nexus of technology, business, and youth innovation, featuring corporate engagement, design-centred approaches.
- Day 3: field trip to experience Shenzhen’s ecological assets and green technology initiatives.
- Day 4: sci-Fi and development festival, where science fiction, art, and AI converge, inspiring bold and imaginative reflections on future cities.
The 2025 Shenzhen Innovation Week aspires to position Shenzhen as a living laboratory for sustainable megacity development, and to inspire other cities worldwide to chart innovative, human-centred pathways toward more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban futures.
Organisers
The event is hosted by UNDP in China and the World Innovative Cities Cooperation Organization (WICCO). It is organised by the UNDP SDG Innovation Lab in Shenzhen Longhua (HUA HUB). It is advised by the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, and the People’sGovernment of Longhua District, Shenzhen. It is also supported by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), ICLEI, and the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University.