Amid the pivotal transformation of the global new energy battery industry featuring lithium-sodium complementarity, solid-state battery standardization and AI-enabled energy storage integration, the 18th China International Battery Fair (CIBF2026) will be grandly held at Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center from May 13 to 15, 2026. As one of the largest and most influential professional expos in the global battery sector, CIBF2026 has fully upgraded from a traditional exhibition into an industrial super docking platform, serving as a core driver for new energy enterprises to map out future strategies and seize global industrial advantages.
Irreplaceable Value: A Core Hub of Global Industrial Chains
CIBF2026 is expected to cover an exhibition area of over 300,000 square meters, gathering more than 3,000 leading global enterprises and attracting over 350,000 professional visitors across 15 pavilions. Setting new industry benchmarks, it has evolved into the most resource-intensive convergence hub for the global battery industrial chain. Hosted by China Industrial Association of Power Sources, this trademark-protected flagship event has successfully run for 17 sessions. In 2025, it boasted a nearly 300,000-square-meter exhibition space, 3,262 exhibitors and over 400,000 visitors, with its industrial influence rising steadily.
CIBF2026 covers the entire industrial chain, including power batteries, energy storage batteries, 3C batteries, battery materials, manufacturing equipment, system solutions and battery recycling. Concurrent events include the 9th International Exhibition on Advanced Energy Storage Technologies & Engineering Applications and the 4th International Hydrogen Energy & Fuel Cell Technology and Equipment Exhibition. This full-chain layout enables exhibitors and visitors to fulfill full-spectrum demands ranging from material procurement and equipment selection to technical cooperation and market expansion on one single platform, substantially cutting industrial chain collaboration costs.
2026 marks a critical year for China’s battery technology to shift from follower to leader. CIBF2026 will host a dedicated forum on cutting-edge advanced battery technologies, focusing on seven key tracks: solid-state batteries, sodium-ion batteries, high-power fast charging, carbon footprint management, hydrogen fuel cells, intelligent equipment & digital twins, as well as battery recycling and echelon utilization. Industry statistics show that global lithium battery shipments will reach 2.5 TWh in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 25%, including 0.8 TWh for energy storage batteries and 1.5 TWh for power batteries. The energy storage sector has become the top driver of market demand growth, and CIBF2026 is the prime opportunity to capture this trend.
Why New Energy Insiders Cannot Miss CIBF2026
As the kick-off year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, 2026 prioritizes fostering new growth drivers and accelerating comprehensive green transition in government work reports. Spanning manufacturing, energy, transportation and digital economy, the battery industry underpins the implementation of national strategies.
Centering on the theme Link the World, Empower Green Development, Forge Ahead into the Future, multiple high-profile forums will be held during the fair to interpret key policies profoundly, including the 2000-billion-yuan ultra-long-term special treasury bonds for equipment upgrading, national strategic deployment of new energy storage, dual control of total carbon emissions and emission intensity, adjustments to export tax rebates, as well as overseas regulations such as EU carbon footprint disclosure rules and US IRA localization requirements. Missing CIBF2026 means missing the policy dividend window for the next three years.