Maker Faire Shenzhen 2026 Now Call For Makers！Entering the Era of OPC Creators

Maker Faire Shenzhen 2026

Call for Makers Now Officially Open!

Date: December 12th-13th, 2026 (Weekend)

Over the past year, AI has evolved from a standalone tool into a foundational layer of modern systems, increasingly embedded in circuit boards, devices, and everyday manufacturing workflows. It is no longer something accessed only through screens—it is becoming part of how physical systems are built and operated.

This shift is reshaping who can build and what it means to create.

We are now seeing the rise of One Person Companies (OPCs)—a new kind of creator structure where a single individual can function as a full team, move from concept to working prototype within days, and turn ideas into production-ready systems within a very short cycle.

In this context, the most significant innovators are no longer limited to research labs or large organizations. Instead, they are independent builders and super-entrepreneurs who integrate AI, hardware, and manufacturing into a continuous workflow—transforming code into circuits, and digital intelligence into physical systems.

Maker Faire Shenzhen 2026, under the theme of “the annual hyper-evolution stage for global makers,” brings together these OPC creators from around the world. Here, AI is not only demonstrated on screens but deployed into real environments: edge systems making real-time decisions on robotic arms, robots taking on repetitive and physically demanding tasks in agriculture and care settings, and open-source hardware combined with large models compressing previously complex infrastructure into portable, deployable devices.

Makers themselves are also evolving—from hobbyists into entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders who are actively shaping the next generation of productivity systems. This is not just an exhibition. It is a stage where ideas become real systems. Every booth represents a moment of rapid transformation, and every encounter has the potential to spark the next industry-defining prototype.

Shenzhen remains the starting point of this momentum.

Hyper-evolution is not a future concept.

It is already happening.

So, what are the key focuses of this year’s Call for Makers?

As the interface and bridge between technological innovation and real-world applications, Maker Faire Shenzhen continues, as in previous years, to focus on four types of projects: New Technology Solutions; Industry Application Solutions; Tech Education & Interactive Art; Technology Services.

We warmly invite OPC creators to take the stage—not only to showcase your work, but to demonstrate how it enters real scenarios and solves real problems. From an idea, to a development board, to a deployable product or a sustainable business, let more people see the true value of AI and hardware innovation.

If you want to showcase your innovative ideas and the impact they have on industry innovation, meet like-minded makers, and explore the specific applications of cutting-edge technologies in various industries at one of the largest maker innovation events in the world, we invite you to sign up by scanning the QR code below or clicking here. We look forward to seeing you there and sharing your journey of continuous innovation!

Call for Makers

Scan to Register

Registration Period: June 30th, 2026 – October 30th, 2026

Before you apply, please read the following guidelines:

Exhibition Application Guide

1.The event will take place on December 12–13. Applications are open until October 30. However, during the application period, the organizing committee will maintain ongoing communication with applicants, review submissions in batches, and adopt a quality-first review standard. We highly encourage early submissions for priority review.

2.As a bridge between technological innovation and industry applications, Maker Faire Shenzhen is especially looking for the following four types of projects：

• Cutting Edge Technologies

• Industrial Solutions

• Technology Education and Interactive Art

• Tech Services

3. Some Key Bonus Points: In addition to the projects we are looking forward to as mentioned earlier, our project selection process will give favorable treatment to projects related to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We believe that technology should be used for the greater good and projects that integrate technological innovation into the realm of sustainability will receive additional recognition.

4. To ensure higher-quality content and reduce excessive duplication, this year’s event will feature over 100 exhibition slots, including 50 individual/team booths, 20 university booths, 30 startup booths, up to 8 sponsor booths for enabling partners, and up to 10 sponsor booths for community partners.

We will also optimize and allocate booth placements in a more structured way to ensure the best possible exhibition experience and overall presentation quality. For inquiries and applications regarding corporate and sponsor booths, please contact business@chaihuo.org.

Beyond the exhibitions, we’ve got even more surprises in store this year — including satellite events, factory tours, maker camps, and a special Maker Map to help you explore the city like never before!

Over the past 12 years, the development trajectory of Maker Faire Shenzhen can be seen as a microcosm of the development of maker culture in China.

• 2012: “Gathering Small Wisdom, Journeying through the Great Future” – This was the first Mini Maker Faire in China, with less than 1000 attendees, and was more like a gathering within a small circle. But we saw the infinite possibilities emerging from the maker community.

• 2013: The slogan was absent, and the maker community was still small. In the OCT Creative Park, there were cross-disciplinary exchanges among different creative communities, silently laying the foundation for cultural output.

• 2014: “Innovate with China” – the event was upgraded to the Featured level for the first time, with a significant increase in scale compared to previous years, and the beginning of professional independent forums. This year, makers began to enter the public’s view.

• 2015: “Everyone is a Maker, what are you waiting for?” – This year’s Shenzhen International Maker Week became one of the largest Maker Faires in the world. This year, the concept of “maker” was elevated to a national level, and the trend of “mass innovation, mass entrepreneurship” swept across the country.

• 2016: “My World, My Creation” – As the sub-venue of the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Week, the event was held for the first time in the commercial center area, experiencing unpredictable weather from typhoons to scorching heat. Many makers succeeded in your entrepreneurial endeavors this year, but it seemed like there were even more failures. The hype around entrepreneurship shifted towards rationality.

• 2017: “Makers, Go Pro” – The event took place at the university campus for the first time, focusing on Maker Pros and providing a platform for diverse innovators and makers to showcase themselves, presenting more possibilities for the growth path of makers to the entire community.

• 2018: “Co-making in the City” – The main venue of Shenzhen International Maker Week, where individuals and groups with shared visions and values gathered to showcase stories, projects, and explorations of collaboration among different communities and people.

• 2019: ” To the Heart of Community, To the Cluster of Industry” – The event was upgraded to the Maker Faire Shenzhen, attempting to attract professional audiences and focusing on pragmatic aspects such as solving the needs of industrial upgrading and co-developin. It aims to build a platform for innovation and industry dialogue and collaboration.

• 2023: “Where Are The Makers?”Starting from our own mission and values, we aim to explore the future direction of makers and the possibilities for commercialization. Though this question does not have a definitive answer, we do hope that through this event, we can communicate and share with every one of you, finding more ideas and directions together.

• 2024 —：“Everything Can Be AI” The summit brought together over 120 exhibitors from China and abroad, drawing over 1,500 professional visitors from nearly 20 countries and more than 20 Chinese provinces. The exhibition showcased numerous AI application projects and hosted 10 AI hardware events and workshops.

• 2025 — “AI and more things” The summit gathered nearly 100 international innovation ambassadors and showcased nearly 1,000 AI hardware projects. Participants included technology leaders, makers, industry experts, and university teams from over 30 countries, forming a global innovation platform integrating cutting-edge ideas, technical exchange, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.