According to a news conference held on May 7, the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2022 is set to open online on May 26. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2022 will be held online on May 26.

The annual Big Data Expo is the world's first national expo focusing on big data and has been held for the past seven years, becoming a world-class platform for showcasing the latest big data achievements, encouraging exchanges between different industries, and creating cooperation opportunities.

Ma Ningyu, mayor of Guiyang, said that this year's Big Data Expo will include one opening ceremony, eight forums and the Big Data Expo Release.

The opening ceremony will be held online on the morning of May 26, inviting national leaders, provincial officials, winners of internationally renowned awards, academicians and famous entrepreneurs to deliver speeches.

Invitations have been sent to Turing Award winner Michael Stonebraker, Chinese Academy of Sciences academician Shi Yigong, China Mobile chairman Yang Jie, China Telecom chairman Ke Ruiwen, China Unicom chairman Liu Liehong and more.

The eight forums will feature guests from government departments, companies, universities, research institutions, and media outlets, who will discuss computing capabilities, data trading, data security, industrial internet, big data and the metaverse online on the afternoon of May 26.

The Big Data Expo Release held that same day will reveal the Big Data Expo Leading Technology Achievement Award, which is the only award established by an expo and the only professional award in big data among those registered at the National Office for Science & Technology Awards.

So far, the Big Data Expo Release has collected 437 sci-tech achievements and is participated in by a number of famous companies, including China Mobile, Huawei, Tencent and NTT DATA.

"In recent years, Guizhou has accelerated the construction of China's first national big data comprehensive pilot area and chosen big data as a strategy to promote economic and social development. The growth rate of the digital economy has ranked first in China for six years in a row, showing that big data has become a pillar industry in Guizhou", said Tao Changhai, vice-governor of Guizhou.

In the past year, the digital economy of Guiyang and Guian accounted for 40 percent of their total GDP, 163 digital economy companies with a total investment of 7.21 billion yuan ($1.08 billion) were introduced, and 1,113 real economy companies were integrated with big data in the area.