MWC26 Shanghai has added executives from AgiBot, Siemens China and Vodafone Asia to its speaker line-up. The event will also feature a Formula E showcase and a humanoid robot football challenge.
The updated programme includes Zhihui Peng, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at AgiBot; Nicholas Hansen, Head of Automation Systems, Strategy, Product & Digitalization, Factory Automation at Siemens China; and Bhupinder Singh, President at Vodafone Asia, alongside speakers from CATL, Globe Telecom, Qualcomm and Telenor.
The Formula E activation will be staged in the Auto Smart Mobility Zone in Hall N4 and run by CircuitX, a GSMA Foundry initiative focused on mobile technology in motorsport. Visitors will be able to use 10 racing simulators, view a Formula E Gen3 Evo car and watch onboard footage streamed from the vehicle through a 5G modem and antenna.
The display is intended to show how mobile networks are used in professional motorsport. Attendees will also be shown behind-the-scenes footage from the 2026 Sanya E-Prix.
Expanded programme
The wider conference agenda brings together speakers from mobile networks, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, energy, legal services and research. Among them are Alexander Antukh, Chief Information Security Officer at AboitizPower; Jun Ni, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Co-President of Engineering, Manufacturing and R&D System, and Senior Vice President at CATL; Carl Cruz, President and Chief Executive Officer at Globe Telecom; Luciana Wiedengren, Chief Legal Officer at Telenor; Cathy Hackl, Chief Executive Officer at Future Dynamics; Lina Bariah, Lead AI Scientist at Khalifa University of Science, Research and Technology; Dr John Smee, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm; Keith Leong, Chief Customer Officer at Singtel Enterprise; and Dan Zhuang, Executive Director and President at YOFC.
The sessions will focus on artificial intelligence, robotics, connected industries, automotive technology and sustainability. Organisers are positioning the Shanghai gathering as a showcase for Asian technology markets and for the role of connectivity in industrial sectors.
A separate robotics attraction will stage a humanoid robot football penalty competition over three days. Teams from around the world are expected to take part, with the event highlighting the use of real-time AI and connectivity in humanoid machines.
Robots will also perform dance routines and play musical instruments as part of the same programme. Together, the activities broaden the event beyond telecoms and consumer devices into robotics and machine interaction.
Startup focus
4YFN will return as the startup platform within the Shanghai event, bringing together founders, investors and larger companies. The zone is due to feature startups from China and other markets working across mobile, digital technology and connectivity.
Mobile World Capital Barcelona will take part through startups from its Collider Programme in healthcare and energy. They include Cooling Photonics, which works on energy efficiency and passive cooling, and OneCare AI, a spin-off focused on stroke prevention using artificial intelligence and electrocardiogram analysis.
The exhibitor list spans telecoms operators, component suppliers, test and measurement specialists and technology vendors. Companies due to exhibit include China Unicom, Fraunhofer IIS, Iridium Satellite, Kigen, LitePoint, NTT Global Data Centres Holdings Asia, Singapore Telecommunications, Vivo, Xiaomi, xMEMS Labs and several smaller regional groups.
The additions to the programme underline how major industry events are increasingly combining traditional conference sessions with interactive displays designed to show networked technology in operation. Formula E in particular has become a frequent setting for telecoms groups and vendors to demonstrate low-latency connectivity, live video links and vehicle telemetry.
Sihan Bo Chen, Head of Greater China at GSMA, said: "This year's MWC Shanghai reflects just how quickly AI and advanced connectivity are influencing global industries, from mobility and robotics to advanced manufacturing and healthcare. Our Formula E showcase is a perfect example, demonstrating how connectivity can power high-performance environments where the stakes are high. Throughout the week, we can't wait to see founders, industry leaders and innovators all sharing their remarkable ideas and knowledge under one roof in Shanghai."