Multinational execs bullish on two sessions

Q3 DeepSeek has been a buzzword and surprised the world starting this year. AI technology has been deeply integrated with various industries around the world. What opportunities do you foresee for your business from AI technology? What's your view on China's ability to sustain innovation in breakthrough technologies in the coming years?

XIA: China's unique combination of extensive market scale and advanced digital infrastructure equips it to spearhead the AI-industrial revolution. At Evonik, we recognize that AI technology is revolutionizing industries worldwide. We see opportunities from AI integration across various facets of our operations, business development, customer service and even R&D. For example, Evonik has collaborated with IBM Research Europe and the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab to explore how AI can help accelerate the development and optimization process of materials. This innovation dramatically shortens the time required to discover and commercialize new materials or improve its performance, reducing development cycles from over a decade to just a few months.

MACHADO: AI technology is transforming industries globally, and Suzano is already exploring the integration of AI into our operations to enhance efficiency, optimize supply chains and improve customer engagement. Just as an example, Suzano developed Tetrys, an AI algorithm to determine the right seedling clones to be planted in every specific region where we operate. But there is so much more yet to be explored and China has a lot to offer. The country's focus and investments on innovation, coupled with its vast talent pool, position it as a global leader in technological innovation. We are excited to collaborate with local partners and contribute to China's innovation ecosystem. We are also keen to learn from China and bring the technologies that China has been developing to our operations — not only in China, but also in other regions.

OTRANTO: AI is one of the most transformative innovations that is reshaping industries worldwide — and now we're also seeing it revolutionize the mining sector. There's no doubt that it holds enormous potential to change the way we do business at Fortescue. By embracing AI, we are driving efficiency across our business, using data to predict outcomes and optimize performance. This means we're now able to track every step of our supply chain — from the extraction process right through to delivery at the final point of sale.

DING: The rapid advancement of AI technology not only aligns with society's growing anticipation of its applications, but also supports 3M's ongoing transformation and upgrading. We continuously integrate cutting-edge technologies to enable smarter and more efficient manufacturing. For example, our plant in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park uses a self-developed digital platform to optimize energy management, and harnesses AI technologies to further enhance energy efficiency, reducing carbon footprints while improving operational performance. We are confident in the future of technological innovation in China, supported by strong R&D ecosystems and favorable policy frameworks. 3M will continue to deepen our local innovations and collaborations in China, co-driving high-quality, innovation-driven growth with partners across industries.