Radiation Curing Annual Conference | New Pathways for In-Depth Technological Advancement and Collaborative Ecosystem Building

Recently, the 26th China Radiation Curing Annual Conference 2025 was successfully held in Suzhou. With the theme “Deep Technological Advancement and Ecological Symbiosis,” the event brought together over 600 industry professionals and more than 90 exhibiting companies, systematically showcasing innovative achievements across the entire value chain—from research and development to industrial applications, and from raw materials and equipment to end‑use products—thereby highlighting the sector’s dynamic momentum and substantial growth potential in this era of profound transformation.

Technology-Driven: Deepening and Mastering Niche Markets

Driven jointly by environmental policies and technological innovation, photopolymerization technology continues to evolve toward greener practices, digitalization, intelligent automation, and integrated solutions.

The 3D printing field has seen the emergence of several cutting-edge technologies, including near-infrared photopolymerization, UV-assisted direct ink writing, and femtosecond laser two-photon micro‑ and nano‑3D printing, which have significantly enhanced the resolution, precision, and functional integration of printing processes. Today, these technologies are widely applied in areas such as personalized medical devices, dentistry, industrial manufacturing, automotive engineering, and cultural‑creative industries.

In recent years, domestically produced EB curing equipment has made significant progress, achieving breakthroughs in several key areas and attracting widespread attention within the industry. At a roundtable forum chaired by Professor Nie Jun, experts discussed potential avenues for future advancements, examining factors such as equipment maturity, formulation performance, cost control, industrialization pathways, and collaborative development mechanisms.

All of this indicates that, in the face of a complex market environment, achieving deep, differentiated breakthroughs in niche segments has become a widespread choice and a critical pathway for companies to build their core competitiveness.

Co-building an Ecosystem: From Competition to Collaborative Innovation

At the Photoinitiator Series Forum, a presentation titled “Reflections on How the UV-Curing Industry Can Achieve High-Quality Development in the Face of ‘Involution’” delivered by Zhang Qi, Senior Vice President of Jiuri New Materials, resonated deeply with the attendees. He argued that companies should abandon low‑level competition, shift from inward‑driven intensification to outward‑oriented expansion, and transform low prices into high value. By ramping up R&D investment, developing differentiated products, and delivering more targeted customer service, firms can build truly sustainable core competencies. At the same time, they must strengthen supply‑chain synergies to drive mutual value creation across the upstream and downstream segments.

During the subsequent roundtable discussion, Zhao Guofeng, Chairman of Jiuri New Materials, engaged in an in-depth exchange with numerous industry experts on topics related to photoinitiators. In his remarks, Chairman Zhao emphasized that, as the industry enters a critical phase of development, Jiuri New Materials stands ready to join forces with its peers to jointly promote the stable, healthy, and sustainable growth of the photocurable materials value chain. He cautioned against blindly chasing short-term gains, urging the industry to focus on mastering core technologies and continuously overcoming technical bottlenecks in photoinitiators and key materials. Chairman Zhao called on industry stakeholders to move away from low‑level, homogeneous competition and to strengthen open collaboration in areas such as standard-setting, technology sharing, and talent development. He particularly stressed the importance of co‑building R&D platforms with universities and research institutions to accelerate the commercialization of scientific and technological advances and elevate the overall level of the sector. Furthermore, Chairman Zhao stated that Jiuri will continue to ramp up R&D investment, strategically position itself in cutting‑edge fields, and leverage its role as a leading enterprise to foster a rational, collaborative, and resilient industry ecosystem. By doing so, Jiuri aims to inject sustained momentum into the high‑quality development of China’s photocurable materials industry.

Although this year’s annual conference has concluded, the reflections and consensus it sparked continue to resonate. It has made clear that the future of the radiation‑curing industry hinges not on breakthroughs in any single technology, but on the coordinated development of the entire ecosystem. Only by seamlessly integrating the focused dedication of technological advancement with the open‑minded collaboration of ecosystem building can we harness sustained momentum for innovation amid change and propel the industry into a new phase of high‑quality, sustainable growth.