On November 16-17, the 2026 New Energy and New Materials Industry Development Forum & INFOR Hubei New Industrial Park Opening Ceremony will open in Gucheng, Xiangyang, Hubei Province.
Hosted by INFOR and co-hosted by Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), with support from Central South University, the event brings together professors from Central South University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Tongji University and other universities, along with representatives of leading companies across the value chain, including Huayou Cobalt, Easpring, Rongjie Group, Langsheng Technology, Dongfeng Motor and REPT BATTERO. Discussions will focus on lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, hydrogen-electric hybrid power, solid-state batteries and overseas new energy markets.
At the same time, INFOR's new Hubei park will be officially inaugurated, and its new intelligent equipment production lines will open to visitors for the first time. This is an industry event spanning the full materials-equipment-systems chain, and an annual gathering where old and new partners can meet face to face and explore cooperation.
Detailed Agenda (November 16-17)
📍 Venues
Opening ceremony / factory tour: Nonferrous Metals Industrial Park, Gucheng County, Xiangyang, Hubei Province (INFOR Hubei New Park)
Forum / gala dinner: Wyndham Garden Gucheng Xiangyang (No. 2 Beichen Avenue, Gucheng County)
🗓 November 16 (Day 1)
09:00-10:00 Check-in and group photos at INFOR New Park; collect delegate badges and welcome gifts
10:00-10:10 Opening dance and lion dance at INFOR New Park to celebrate the move
10:10-11:10 Speeches by government, association and customer representatives (Gucheng County Government, Chen Lyu, Yang Xiaoyan, Hu Guorong, Lu Feng, Zhan Peng, Li Chengwei, Hou Ximing, Zhou Bo, Dr. Kim Sang-ho and others) at INFOR New Park, with voices from industry, academia, research and end users
11:10-11:20 Strategic cooperation signings (3-4 companies) and on-site plaque unveiling at INFOR New Park
11:20-11:25 Ribbon-cutting ceremony and group photo of all guests at INFOR New Park
11:30-12:00 Tour of the intelligent production lines at INFOR New Park
12:00-13:00 Transfer to the Wyndham hotel for lunch
13:20-15:30 Opening Session (host: Yang Xiaoyan; remarks by Gucheng County Government leaders; Peng Jianbin of Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd.; Tang Yougen of Central South University; signings with representatives from Saino, the United States and South America; investment policy briefing by the Gucheng County Investment Promotion Bureau; market trends from SMM; Chen Lyu of INFOR on Bead Mill Equipment and Co-Iteration of Process Technology; Liu Taotao of Volkswagen, and more) at the Wyndham hotel, offering both macro and equipment perspectives
15:30-17:20 Lithium Battery Session (host: Luo Dan; Hu Guorong, Wang Zhengwei of Xingheng Power, battery manufacturers, Luo Dan of CNGR Advanced Material, Li Zhenwen of Nanoport, Liu Hanyun of Xingchen Lithium Energy, and more) at the Wyndham hotel, an in-depth look at LFP, manganese-based materials and conductive agents
18:30-21:30 Opening Celebration Gala Dinner at the Wyndham hotel, with a lucky draw and networking
🗓 November 17 (Day 2, Wyndham hotel)
Wyndham Garden Gucheng Xiangyang:
Sodium Battery Session (host: Wang Qiang of Mariana) 08:25-10:20: Wang Zhenbo of Harbin Institute of Technology on Progress in Sodium-Ion Battery Technology; Cao Yuliang of Jiana Energy on Polyanion Sodium-Ion Batteries; Liu Zhongqing of Nayuan Technology on NFS Cathodes; Sun Hao of Aoguan Sodium Battery on Technology Routes for Sodium-Ion Energy Storage; Xiao Yao of Wenzhou University on Layered Oxides, and more
Integrated Session (host: Shen Xiwei of SMM) 10:20-12:00: Ma Zifeng of Shanghai Jiao Tong University on Hydrogen-Electric Hybrid Power; Tang Yougen of Central South University on Sodium Solid-State Batteries; Liu Xingquan of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China on PEO Solid-State Electrolytes; Chen Deliang of Dongguan University of Technology on Surface and Interface Engineering of Functional Powders; Zhou Quanzhu of Dazhan Nano on CNT Dispersion, and more
12:00-13:30 Buffet lunch at the Wyndham hotel
Overseas Session (host: Yan Tao) 13:30-17:15: 14 presentations, including Dong Hui of Ingevity; Zeng Zi of E-One Moli Energy (Molicel), Taiwan; Kim Sang-ho, INFOR's Korea advisor; Saino; market analyses of Japan, India, Indonesia, Africa, Russia and the Middle East, Europe and South America; Song Weining of Green Carbon; and Dr. Han Ziyang of Beichen Recycling
*Please refer to the on-site program for the full speaker list and presentation titles. The agenda may be adjusted slightly to accommodate speakers' schedules; the organizer reserves the right of final interpretation.
Travel Guide: By Air, High-Speed Rail, Car or Bus
The two main venues are the Nonferrous Metals Industrial Park in Gucheng County, Xiangyang, Hubei (around Guigu Avenue) and the Wyndham Garden Gucheng Xiangyang (No. 2 Beichen Avenue), about a 10-minute drive apart. Here are the options by mode of travel:
✈️ Option 1: Fly into Xiangyang Liuji Airport or Shiyan Wudangshan Airport
1) Xiangyang Liuji Airport → Gucheng new industrial park: about 90 km
2) Shiyan Wudangshan Airport is Gucheng's second air gateway and is especially convenient for guests travelling from Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and nearby cities. It offers many routes and often better fares, and the expressway from the airport to Gucheng is more direct than going via Xiangyang.
🚄 Option 2: High-speed train to Gucheng North Station
Gucheng North Station (high-speed rail, Wuhan-Shiyan line) is the recommended station, about 4 km from the park. A taxi takes about 7 minutes and costs around RMB 10; alternatively, take the G01 bus to the county town and transfer to a taxi.
Xiangyang East Station: if no convenient direct train to Gucheng is available, travel to Xiangyang East first and transfer to Gucheng North Station (about 20-odd minutes by high-speed rail), then take a taxi.
🚗 Option 3: Self-drive
• From Xiangyang: take the Erguang Expressway to the Fuyin Expressway, or National Highway G316, about 78 km and 60 minutes in total.
🚌 Option 4: Local public transport & shuttles
Coaches to Gucheng depart from Xiangyang Bus Station and the coach stop next to Xiangyang East Station roughly every 20-30 minutes; the journey takes about one hour.
INFOR in Gucheng, Looking Forward to Seeing You
From Songshan Lake in Dongguan to Gucheng in Xiangyang, INFOR has spent twenty years focused on one thing: high-end grinding. This move is not just a factory upgrade; it is a fresh start geared toward next-generation processes for new energy materials. Over the two-day forum, INFOR will discuss with you the competitive moat of LFP, the commercialization pace of sodium-ion batteries, the real barriers in overseas markets, and how a bead mill (sand mill) can help customers take powder consistency to the next level. Whether you are a materials company, an equipment peer, an investor or a member of the media, if you care about closing the materials-equipment-systems loop in new energy manufacturing, you will find the answers you need here.
On November 16, at the new industrial park in Gucheng, Hubei, INFOR looks forward to starting a new journey with you. See you there!