BEYOND Expo Files IPO Prospectus: Bridging Commerce, Technology, and Innovation Beyond Boundaries

Winter 2021, Cotai Expo at The Venetian Macao.

Spanning nearly 50,000 square meters, the exhibition area hosted 300 exhibitors—including large multinational corporations, unicorn innovators, and emerging startups—from around the world. More than 20,000 professional attendees visited the event, where countless technological innovations converged. The inaugural BEYOND International Science and Technology Innovation Expo (hereinafter referred to as “BEYOND Expo”) kicked off in Macau.

Through this exhibition, one can seemingly catch a glimpse of the shadow of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which has been held for 55 consecutive years.

“Technological advancements need to be understood by the world, and their benefits should be shared by all humanity. Technology providers should step out from behind the scenes to articulate the value of technological innovation—this is precisely the significance of technology exhibitions.”At BEYOND Expo, co-founders He Jiandong and Lu Gang discussed the original vision behind establishing the BEYOND platform.“Across the Asia-Pacific region, there is a lack of an exhibition with sufficient influence, akin to CES, to provide a showcase for the annual development of Asia’s technological prowess. In light of this, we aim to offer a premium platform comparable to CES to support the global expansion of technologies from the Asia-Pacific region.”

Will it be Asia’s CES, or will it forge a new industrial ecosystem and operational model based on the CES framework?A look back at BEYOND Expo 2021 may provide their answers.

He Jiandong and Lu Gang set the theme of BEYOND Expo 2021 as “What’s Next?”, which embodies their positioning and expectations for the event.

He Jiandong stated“Spurred by the pandemic, I have witnessed the remarkable potential of technology in people’s lives. People’s lifestyles and modes of communication are undergoing profound changes, while public healthcare systems are accelerating reforms, daily burdens on local medical systems are being alleviated, and R&D costs in healthcare are rapidly declining—all driven by technological advancements. Meanwhile, technology is also striving to address global societal challenges such as climate change and environmental pollution. Therefore, we chose ‘What’s next?’ as the theme for BEYOND Expo 2021. We believe in the power of technology and hope to leverage our efforts to continuously promote its development.”

After the theme was finalized, the conference invited numerous industry experts and scholars, as well as opinion leaders including Qi Faren, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the first chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft; Zhong Nanshan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Director of Guangzhou Laboratory, and Director of the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases; Ni Zewang, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shenzhen Capital Group Co., Ltd.; Dong Mingzhu, Chairwoman and President of Gree Electric Appliances, Inc.; Ma Weihua, Chairman of the Social Value Investment Alliance and former President of China Merchants Bank; Wu Yibing, Co-President of Global Business Development at Temasek and President of Temasek China; Xiong Xiaoge, Founding Chairman of IDG Capital; and Zhao Baige, former Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, Chairman of the Expert Committee of the “Belt and Road” International Think Tank of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Chairman of the Expert Committee of Landry International Think Tank. These distinguished guests shared their insights at the conference to discuss the future of innovation.

Concurrent with the conference, multiple thematic forums will be held, covering areas such as the metaverse, green economy, smart healthcare, and artificial intelligence. These forums aim to provide a comprehensive platform for integration and interaction among enterprises, products, capital, and industries, thereby fostering the development of technological innovation in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.

BEYOND Expo2021

Meanwhile, Alibaba, CTM, Bank of China Macau Branch, Deloitte, Fosun Group, ICBC Macau, China Everbright Limited, Hikvision, Hengjian Holdings, BGI, Huawei, West China Hospital, XGIMI, Livzon Pharmaceutical, Nam Kwong Group, Pudu Technology, SenseTime, Tencent Group, XPeng Aeroht, EHang, CHINT Group, China Telecom, China State Construction International Holdings, Sinopec, China Taiping, and China Civil Engineering (Macau) Co., Ltd. were among the exhibitors.

Although the BEYOND Expo has successfully concluded as a conference, Lu Gang redefined the nature of the event at its closing, stating, “BEYOND is not merely an expo; it is a platform for technological exchange. There is still room for BEYOND to meet the team’s expectations. I hope BEYOND can transcend commerce, technology, and boundaries, fostering stronger connections between more tech startups and Macau.”

Much like the continuous iteration of technological innovation, BEYOND Expo constantly transcends and redefines itself. As Lu Gang remarked at the conclusion of the conference,This year, BEYOND Expo anchored its position in future technology and redefined its focus areas, establishing three sub-brands: Life Sciences, Sustainable Development, and Consumer Technology.

At BEYOND Expo 2021, the Chinese Medical Association (CMA), as one of the co-organizers, held its opening ceremony where Academician Zhao Yupei, President of the CMA, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Honorary President of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, delivered the opening address. He pointed out that in the new era, the CMA will extensively gather global resources and actively participate in global health governance with a more open attitude.

The BEYOND Organizing Committee, in collaboration with the Chinese Medical Association, China Taiping, Bank of China Macau Branch, Livzon Pharmaceutical Group, Fosun Pharma, BGI Genomics, West China Hospital, and other industry leaders, presents the Life Sciences Exhibition Zone and hosts the Smart Healthcare Forum, the Forum on Innovation in Pharmaceutical and Medical Technology & Equipment, and the Forum on Innovative Drugs and Biomedical Technologies.

BEYOND Expo2021

The conference has invited leading figures from the life sciences industry, including representatives from Tongji Hospital affiliated with Tongji University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Genetron Health (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., New Frontier Group, Chongqing Yongrenxin Medical Devices, Zhenjiankang (Beijing) Medical Technology, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine, Livzon Biologics, Fosun Pharma, Zhejiang Tiyuan Kang Pharmaceutical, Xinkanghe, Shanghai Jianxin Biology, ASKLEPIOS, Delonix, Guangdong Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, Bairui Innovation Center at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, School of Life Sciences at Tsinghua University, Institute of Biomedical Sciences at Fudan University, and Joincare Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, to provide an in-depth analysis of the current state and future of the industry.

He Jiandong and Lu Gang expressed the conference’s focus on the life and health industry.“Since the pandemic, public attention to life sciences has continued to grow. I believe that technological innovation is essential for the life sciences industry, and we need to focus on such innovation within the sector. We aim to foster stronger connections with healthcare companies, financial institutions, government representatives, and chambers of commerce, while further facilitating linkages among these stakeholders.”

“We particularly hope that BEYOND Expo will not merely showcase tech products such as smartphones, but instead highlight technologies with greater social significance and value—those capable of impacting every industry and representing the most important trends in technological development, thereby demonstrating the integration of technology with various sectors. In the post-pandemic era, technology’s role and influence in the life and health industries have grown increasingly prominent. This year, we have established Life Sciences as one of our sub-brands, aiming to attract more innovative healthcare companies, products, and services to participate in the BEYOND platform.”

Choosing Macao, rather than Beijing or Shanghai, as the host city for two consecutive editions of BEYOND Expo represents “a distinct value in this choice,” in the words of co-founder Lu Gang.

The internationalization of the Guangdong-Macao region in recent years has been driven by its geographic advantages, capital infusion, and favorable policy tailwinds.

As early as February 2019, the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, initially proposed the framework for cooperation between Guangdong and Macao. In September 2021, the Overall Plan for the Construction of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin further explicitly designated the Hengqin New Area as the hub for Guangdong-Macao cooperation.

Compared with Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, Macao’s local economy is currently undergoing diversification. Abundant capital and talent are driving the emergence of new industries, creating vast blue-ocean market opportunities.

For the Macau government, there is a need for an opportunity to allow more investors and entrepreneurs to understand Macau, as well as technological forces to drive industrial development and upgrading. On the other hand, in addition to more attractive low tax rates and policy support from the Macau government, Lu Gang also sees the infinite potential of this region: To rival CES, it cannot only focus on the domestic cycle but must go international; to surpass the industrial and functional scope of CES and make greater efforts to facilitate the global expansion of technologies from the Asia-Pacific region and attract international companies to establish their presence, a dual-cycle window is needed.

The Guangdong-Macao Region is precisely such an excellent window.

In response, Lu Gang stated, “Firstly, the healthcare industry requires an internationalized city to undertake such initiatives, and Macau serves precisely as an international gateway. In recent years, Macau has welcomed new development opportunities, striving to diversify its economy and foster emerging industries, including the establishment of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Furthermore, for innovative enterprises, newly approved drugs and medical devices can enter designated hospitals in the Greater Bay Area via Hong Kong and Macau. Therefore, I believe this represents a significant advantage for the healthcare industry, which is also why we chose to locate in Macau.”

Chipped stone tools, fishing and hunting; anatomical medicine, rational science; new material technologies, electronic computers; the World Wide Web, blockchain... The evolution of science and technology has never ceased.

From a global perspective, the new technological revolution and industrial transformation are becoming increasingly profound. Since 2015, China has successively issued important policy documents, including Made in China 2025, the Development Plan for Intelligent Manufacturing (2016–2020), and the Three-Year Action Plan to Promote the Development of the New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Industry (2018–2020), to support the advancement of digital technologies at the policy level.

The bit-based world built upon cyber-virtual foundations, along with the vision of the Oasis, is gradually becoming a lifelike reality. In 2021, as the concept of the “metaverse” emerged as the next major industry trend favored by investors, the integration of technology and reality seemed poised to continue unabated. The healthcare sector is no exception.

Zhao Baige, Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, Chair of the Expert Committee of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ “Belt and Road” International Think Tank, and Chair of the Expert Committee of LENDI International Think Tank, stated at the opening ceremony of BEYOND Expo 2021: “BEYOND was entirely created by a cohort of individuals born in the 1980s and 1990s. It represents the future of China and Macao, linking government, enterprises, media, and think tanks into an optimal combination. Benchmarking against CES, BEYOND aims to build China’s own brand for technology and consumer electronics exhibitions. As a strategic pivot, BEYOND outputs numerous innovative perspectives, empowering the future.”

Who can know where BEYOND will be headed in decades to come?