Insights for 2026: Key Industry Trends at the Munich Shanghai Electronics Show

Insights for 2026: The Munich Shanghai Electronic Show Focuses on 10 Key Industry Terms!

Over the past three years, the global electronics industry has undergone a resilient restructuring of its supply chains amidst turmoil. From the emergence of generative AI to the comprehensive upgrade of new energy architectures, the industry has demonstrated remarkable evolutionary capabilities under pressure. The focus of technological innovation has shifted from merely breaking single performance metrics to deeply empowering application scenarios. As we enter 2026, the electronic information industry is transitioning from “technological breakthroughs” to a “business closed-loop” phase. In the face of increasingly complex market demands and diversified technological pathways, how should hardware terminals harness the infinite possibilities of intelligence?

At this crucial juncture, the Munich Shanghai Electronic Show has compiled and released the top 10 industry terms for 2026, aiming to provide a forward-looking technical guide for all segments of the industry chain and assist peers in the industry in pinpointing their direction amid the tide of transformation, exploring new trends for future growth.

1. Intelligent New Energy Vehicles

With the iteration of large model technology, a significant trend in the automotive industry for 2026 is the rise of the “AIEV” (Artificial Intelligence Electric Vehicle) concept. The industry focus is gradually shifting from basic electrification frameworks to intelligent experiences centered around AI. Unlike the past reliance on rule-based coding for autonomous driving, end-to-end large model solutions are becoming a key direction for leading automotive manufacturers due to their stronger generalization abilities.

In terms of intelligent connectivity, the application scenarios of C-V2X technology are expanding. According to the 2025 Urban NOA Automotive Assisted Driving Research Report released by the China Automotive Industry Association, the sales volume of new passenger cars equipped with combined driving assistance functions (Level 2) grew by 21.2% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2025, with a penetration rate reaching 64%. It is expected that the penetration rate will further increase in 2026. This indicates that vehicles will no longer perceive their surroundings from a single vehicle perspective but are evolving towards an integrated vehicle-road-cloud system. Concurrently, the advancement of autonomous driving presents new challenges for hardware. To support the inference of end-side large models, the computational power requirements for automotive-grade SoC chips are on the rise, while in-vehicle Ethernet and high-speed SerDes connection solutions are quickly replacing traditional bus architectures to handle vast amounts of data throughput.

2. AI+

The integration of artificial intelligence is becoming an important consideration in the design of electronic products. Current market trends indicate that AI is transitioning from the cloud to edge devices, with a significant increase in the shipment of edge AI devices expected in the coming years. The proportion of terminal devices integrated with AI acceleration engines will continue to grow. In this trend, whether for PCs, smartphones, or embedded devices, the hardware architecture is evolving: heterogeneous computing is becoming mainstream, and the role of NPUs within SoCs is increasingly important. The widespread adoption of AI computing at the terminal level is also raising higher demands for storage performance. To alleviate data transmission bottlenecks, high-speed AI storage technologies such as LPDDR6 are expected to gradually commercialize in high-end devices. For upstream suppliers, this means the need to provide PCB materials with higher frequencies and lower losses, as well as more precise clock components to ensure the integrity of high-speed signals.

3. Embodied Intelligence

Transitioning from laboratory showcases to factory assembly lines, embodied intelligence is unlocking a new chapter in the robotics industry. Humanoid robots, as the epitome of this trend, are attempting small-scale pilot applications in structured scenarios such as industrial handling and precision assembly. According to a report by Goldman Sachs titled Humanoid Robots Series III: Core Supply Chain, it is projected that by 2035, the global market for humanoid robots will reach $38 billion under basic scenarios and could soar to $205 billion in the most optimistic scenarios.

At the hardware level, robots have high demands for motion control. High power-density servo motors, precision reducers, and high-accuracy encoders are essential for achieving flexible movement. Additionally, to ensure safer human-robot interactions, the integration of multi-dimensional torque sensors and tactile sensing technologies is continually increasing. This presents challenges not only for mechanical structures but also for electronic systems. Maintaining stable signal transmission in high-dynamic environments imposes stringent requirements on connectors, cables, and anti-interference components.

4. AI Data Centers

The competition over trillion-parameter models has ignited a wave of expansion in the underlying infrastructure of AI data centers. These centers are undergoing a profound transformation from general computing to intelligent computing architectures. According to statistics from Synergy Research Group, as of the end of 2025, there will be 1,297 operational hyperscale data centers globally, with their computing power increasingly oriented toward AI, necessitating a reconstruction of the underlying hardware architecture. In response to the training and inference of trillion-parameter models, the scale of AI computing clusters is continuously expanding, leading to a significant increase in power density per rack. Cooling has become a key bottleneck limiting computational performance, and liquid cooling technology is expected to see wider application in newly constructed high-performance computing centers. Moreover, the data exchange rate between AI high-speed storage and computing units is crucial. The iteration of HBM technology and exploration of CPO technology aim to address interconnectivity issues, driving demand for high-speed backplane connectors, optical modules, and efficient power management chips.

5. Energy Storage and Green Energy

Every bit of computing power corresponds to energy consumption. Under the dual drivers of digitalization and decarbonization, energy storage and green energy have become invisible cornerstones supporting the sustainable development of the digital economy. The continuous growth in installed capacity for photovoltaic and wind energy is shifting the industry’s focus from simple power generation to more efficient grid regulation and energy conversion. In the core area of power electronics, wide bandgap semiconductors are shining brightly. The penetration rates of silicon carbide and gallium nitride in photovoltaic inverters and energy storage converters are expected to increase further. According to Yole Intelligence, the SiC device market will continue to expand in response to the increasing demand for high-voltage and high-frequency applications. Furthermore, to facilitate grid interaction with virtual power plants, battery management systems (BMS) are evolving toward higher measurement precision and intelligence, ensuring safe and efficient scheduling of every kilowatt-hour of energy.

6. Industrial Intelligence

The boundaries between IT and OT are increasingly blurring, with factories evolving from isolated production units into intelligent entities capable of autonomous decision-making. In 2026, the core narrative of industrial intelligence has shifted from merely replacing humans with machines to creating a digital closed-loop. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology weaves together controllers, sensors, and actuators on the production floor into a high-density perception network. To address the real-time communication and determinism challenges in industrial environments, TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) technology has transitioned from standard formulation to large-scale deployment in 2026. It breaks down the barriers of traditional industrial Ethernet protocol incompatibility, allowing data to flow across devices with millisecond-level latency. In quality inspection, machine vision-based detection systems combined with edge AI inference chips are enhancing defect recognition precision to the micron level.

Moreover, predictive maintenance has become a standard feature in high-end manufacturing. By deploying MEMS vibration sensors and acoustic sensors, factories can capture subtle anomalies in equipment operation in real-time, coupled with digital twin technology for simulation in virtual spaces. This relentless pursuit of production efficiency and flexibility will continue to drive market growth for edge controllers, industrial-grade sensors, and highly reliable interconnect components. For electronic component manufacturers, this means that products must not only be intelligent but also withstand harsh environments such as high temperatures and electromagnetic interference.

7. 6G

While 5G-A (5.5G) is in a critical phase of commercial deployment, the telecommunications industry is already setting its sights on the next decade. 6G is currently in a window for standard definition, with ongoing exploration of terahertz communication, integrated sensing and communication, and space-terrestrial integrated networks. With the rise of the Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) concept, the integration of low-Earth orbit satellites and ground communication is becoming a research hotspot, indicating that future communication networks will be three-dimensional and fully covered. This trend is likely to drive demand for radiation-hardened chips, phased array antenna modules, and high-frequency RF devices. For the electronics industry, focusing on early technological validation of 6G is essentially positioning itself for future high-frequency communication and new materials.

8. Low Altitude Economy

As a strategic emerging industry for the nation, the low altitude economy is entering a critical phase of commercialization in 2026. The normalization of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) and logistics drones in specific airspace signifies that the aviation industry is experiencing its own electrification moment. The rise of this sector compels aviation electronic systems to evolve toward extreme lightweighting, miniaturization, and cost-effectiveness. Unlike traditional large aircraft, low-altitude vehicles are extremely sensitive to weight, making highly integrated flight control systems a necessity. High-precision MEMS inertial navigation units, anti-interference GNSS positioning modules, and laser radar/millimeter-wave radar fusion perception systems form the safety foundation for low-altitude flight.

On the other hand, the electrification of power systems is also undergoing significant transformation. To alleviate range anxiety and meet high discharge rate requirements, high energy density solid-state/semi-solid batteries are rapidly undergoing on-board verification, with accompanying BMS needing to incorporate aviation-grade safety redundancy designs. Additionally, communication coverage in low-altitude airspace presents a major challenge, leading to a surge in demand for dedicated 5G-A low-altitude base stations and lightweight on-board communication terminals. Here, the cross-sector integration of automotive electronic supply chains with traditional aviation technologies has become a certainty, ushering in a new wave of performance upgrades for high-reliability connectors, power devices, and sensor chips.

9. Internet of Things

The value of connectivity now relies not only on quantity but also on quality and effectiveness. The Internet of Things (IoT) industry is moving away from extensive growth towards a more refined phase. According to GSMA, the number of global IoT connections is expected to continue rising, while the structure of connection technologies is undergoing profound changes. Currently, the combination of IIoT and RedCap technology has become a market focal point. RedCap reduces unnecessary frequency bands and antenna numbers, significantly lowering module costs and power consumption while retaining the low latency and high reliability features of 5G, making it the ideal communication carrier for video surveillance, industrial sensing, and wearables.

Meanwhile, passive IoT technology is reshaping the logistics and asset management sectors. By harnessing ambient light energy, temperature differences, or radio frequency energy, passive tags achieve zero power operation, effectively resolving the maintenance challenges of replacing batteries for massive nodes. Additionally, as connection density surges, IoT security has reached unprecedented heights, with chips featuring built-in hardware security units or physically unclonable functions becoming the identifiers for networked devices, ensuring that every step of the interconnected world is secure and trustworthy.

10. Smart Wearables

After several years of technological refinement and market reshuffling, smart wearable devices are poised to enter a second growth curve in 2026, catalyzed by generative AI. AI glasses are gradually shedding their labels as geeky gadgets, evolving into personal intelligent assistants with visual comprehension and auditory interaction capabilities. They are no longer just supplementary screens for smartphones but are becoming the primary interface between the physical world and digital information. Breakthroughs in hardware technology are the foundation of this wave: the maturation of MicroLED and waveguide display technologies allows glasses to maintain a lightweight frame while achieving high brightness and low-power information projection; meanwhile, optimizations in bone conduction and directional audio technologies address the conflict between open listening and privacy protection.

To support all-day AI online services, ultra-low power edge AI computing chips are becoming essential, requiring real-time voice recognition and image processing at milliwatt-level power consumption. Additionally, battery technology is undergoing innovation, with the application of silicon-carbon anode materials significantly increasing the energy density of miniature batteries. Furthermore, devices like smartwatches are becoming more specialized in health monitoring, with improved precision in sensors for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring and continuous blood pressure tracking, moving wearable devices closer to medical-grade health terminals.

In conclusion, the Munich Shanghai Electronic Show will take place from July 1-3, 2026, at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in halls W1-W5 and N1-N5. The exhibition scale will expand to nearly 120,000 square meters, with plans to invite over 1,800 high-quality exhibitors from home and abroad, and it is expected to attract more than 70,000 professional visitors. Looking ahead to 2026, the electronics industry is attempting to transform more technological concepts into practical applications. The compilation of these key terms aims to explore potential development paths and actual needs within the industry. Each technological advancement often requires ongoing collaboration from electronic components and supply chains. The Munich Shanghai Electronic Show aims to continue leveraging its platform value to present richer cutting-edge solutions to practitioners and collectively explore more possibilities for technological evolution.

Registration for the audience at the 2026 Munich Shanghai Electronic Show: Register Here