The 2017 World Autonomous Vehicle Ecosystem Conference will take place in Jiading district of Shanghai on Nov 6 – 7, authorities announced at a news briefing on Nov 2.

Autonomous vehicles are the future of the auto industry and are key to any country's auto industrial transformation and upgrading. Their development requires unification of various fields and innovation to create a new transport system. Also, autonomous vehicles are of great significance in encouraging innovation, improving transport safety, saving energy and reducing emissions.

The conference, themed on "Connected World, Intelligent Future", is co-organized by the Shanghai municipal government and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

It intends to become the most authoritative platform for international exchanges and cooperation in the autonomous vehicle field, displaying the world's latest autonomous vehicle technology and opening discussions on autonomous vehicle-related rules and industry standards.

It brings together top managers of leading global auto companies, scholars of research institutes, and industry leaders, and at its conclusion will release a Shanghai Declaration in hopes of co-building a world's autonomous vehicle industrial development system.

Attendees are able to visit a national autonomous vehicle pilot demonstration zone in Jiading to experience autonomous driving.

Local companies and institutes including SAIC Motor, NextEV, DIAS Electronics Co, and Shanghai Avionics and Radio Equipment Research Institute are displaying their cutting-edge autonomous driving technology and related products.

Shanghai authorities announce at a news briefing on Nov 2 that the 2017 World Autonomous Vehicle Ecosystem Conference is set to take place in Jiading district of Shanghai on Nov 6 – 7. [Photo/eastday.com]