On April 25-26, the two-day-long “2017 International China Internet of Things Conference” was staged at Jiading District, Shanghai. With strong support from Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and China Association for Science and Technology, this conference was jointly organized by Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Institute of Electronics and was undertaken by The Chinese Institute of Electronics IOT Committee of Experts, Administrative Committee of Shanghai Jiading Industry Park and Shanghai Internet of Things Co., Ltd. This event attracted the participation of more than 1,500 industry professionals and leaders.

This IOT conference comprised main forum held on April 25 and 8 sub-forums held on April 26. At the main forum held on April 25, Mr. Wang Xi, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, director of Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and deputy chairman of China Association for Science and Technology, attended the opening ceremony of the conference and delivered a welcome speech. Mr. Wu Hequan, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of Internet Society of China, attended the meeting and made the opening keynote report entitled “Industrial Opportunities and Security Challenges from Internet of Things”. On April 26, the conference included 8 sub-forums, i.e., fog computing, intelligent manufacturing and industry 4.0, artificial intelligence and intelligent hardware, IoT OS (operating system) technology and application, low power wide area network (LPWAN), one-code-for-one-thing industrial Internet innovative application, smart car and IOV (Internet of Vehicle), and sensor technology and application.

One of the highlights of “2017 International China Internet of Things Conference” was the “Fog Computing Forum” staged on April 26 and jointly undertaken by OpenFog Consortium Greater China Region, Key Lab of Wireless Sensor Network and Communication, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shanghai Institute of Fog Computing Technology. This forum was China’s first industry event focused on fog computing technology.

Fog computing technology is currently the most cutting-edge technology in international IOT community. Unlike cloud computing, through adoption of more decentralized architecture closer to network edge, fog computing can use devices close to terminals for data processing, thus effectively improving excessively occupied bandwidth or overloading triggered by transmission of large amounts of IOT information to cloud computing center. By distributing computing, communication, control and storage resources and services to devices and systems nearest to users or data sources, fog computing can help realize extension and development of cloud ability and thus provide unified end-to-end cloud + fog platforms, services and applications.

Based on keen insight in bright prospects of fog computing, ARM, Cisco, Dell, Intel, Microsoft and Princeton University set up OpenFog Consortium in North America in November 2015. Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences was the first institution in Mainland China that had joined OpenFog Consortium. In January 2017, ShanghaiTech University was elected president unit of OpenFog Consortium Greater China Region and Yang Yang, distinguished professor of ShanghaiTech University and also research fellow of Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, acted as president of OpenFog Consortium Greater China Region on behalf of ShanghaiTech University. On April 24, OpenFog Consortium Greater China Region was officially established in Shanghai, which would forcefully accelerate deep integration of internationally prevailing IOT technologies and domestic industrial demands and fully initiate a new ecology of IOT industry geared to international standard. On the same day (April 24), Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences together with ShanghaiTech University jointly established “Shanghai Institute of Fog Computing Technology”, which is the first institution specialized in fog computing technology research in the world and is intended to develop a fog computing research base with unique advantages and assist in Shanghai’s accelerated construction of a science and technology innovation center with global influence. The formation of this high-level research institute also signals that China’s fog computing technology research and industrial layout will keep abreast of international peers.