Shanghai, August 28, 2025 – Frost & Sullivan, together with LeadLeo, successfully hosted the 19th Global Growth, Innovation & Leadership (GIL) Summit and the 4th New Investment Event at the Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai, from 27–28 August.
The two-day Summit welcomed 200+ distinguished guests, featured 100+ keynote sessions and panel discussions, and attracted over 4,000 professional attendees from across China and abroad.
With the theme “Igniting a New Journey · Shaping Global Growth Poles”, the Summit was supported by the China Association for Public Companies, the China Advertising Association, and China Quality Supervision. Leaders from industry, academia, and investment came together to explore new drivers, markets, and growth opportunities for China’s evolving economy.
Key Themes and Insights
A Systemic Leap Toward Sustainability
David Frigstad, Chairman of Frost & Sullivan, outlined a “seven-stage systemic leap” for enterprises pursuing sustainable growth. He emphasized mapping value chains, building a Growth Pipeline Engine, benchmarking global best practices, and joining collaborative Communities to Action to transform innovation into tangible business gains.
Redefining Growth in a Globalized Era
Aroop Zutshi, Global President & Managing Partner, highlighted Frost & Sullivan’s proprietary Transformational Growth Journey, which enables companies to systematically identify opportunities, benchmark best practices, and thrive amid disruptive technologies and geopolitical shifts.
Communicating China’s Growth to the World
Dr. Neil Wang, Global Partner and Chairman for Greater China, underscored the Summit’s nearly 30-year legacy, with 19 consecutive years in China. He emphasized China’s long-term growth advantage and introduced the “White Paper on China’s Industrial Development Trends Over the Next 50 Years (4th Edition)”, providing insights into opportunities and challenges ahead.
Distinguished Guests and Keynote Highlights
The opening ceremony featured leaders such as Tu Guangshao (Shanghai Finance Institute), Liu Zhaobin (China Quality Miles Promotion Association), Zhang Guohua (China Advertising Association), Professor Wang Yu (China Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control), and others.
Highlights included:
- Tu Guangshao: Called for financial services to better support integration of traditional and new economies.
- Liu Zhaobin: Announced the “Sunshine Initiative” for transparency and quality in market research.
- Zhang Guohua: Stressed Frost & Sullivan’s role in brand certification and valuation.
- Professor Wang Yu: Highlighted China’s breakthroughs in biomedicine.
- Sun Nianrui: Praised the growth of A-share listed companies and Frost & Sullivan’s leadership in IPO consulting.
- Wang Tingfu: Urged companies to move from imitative innovation to leading innovation.
Major Announcements
- Launch of the Sunshine Initiative for transparent market research.
- Establishment of the Frost & Sullivan Global Expert Advisory Council.
- Strategic partnerships with Phoenix Weekly and Weibo Health.
- Release of the 2025 Brand Intangible Asset Growth Top 30.
White Papers, Reports, & Awards
Nearly 20 white papers and 3 authoritative rankings were released, covering macroeconomics, AI, ESG, healthcare, and more. Highlights included:
- White Paper on China’s Industrial Development Trends Over the Next 50 Years (4th Edition)
- 2025 China PE/VC Fund Industry CFO White Paper
- 2025 Blue Paper on China’s Medical Device Globalization
- 2025 Report on GenAI Applications Across Industries
The GIL Best Practices Awards honored outstanding enterprises worldwide.
Global winners included: Ab&B Bio-Tech, Sigenergy Technology, Everon Healthcare, CytoNiche Biotech, and others.
China winners included: KUKA, FOTILE, Yuwang Group, MegaRobo, and more.
Sub-forums on Key Growth Themes
The Summit featured eight sub-forums addressing critical opportunities:
- Going Global Forum – Intelligent manufacturing & global innovation.
- New Consumption Trends Outlook Forum – Global consumer brand strategies.
- Professional Services Forum – AI empowerment, tax risk prevention, and globalization strategies.
- ESG and New Productive Forces Forum – Future views on ESG-driven innovation.
- AI Evolution Forum – Intelligent agent systems and their commercial potential.
- Life Sciences New Investment Summit – Global strategies in biotech and healthcare.
- High-quality Development Forum – M&A, AI integration, and sustainable growth.
Closing Remarks
Dr. Neil Wang concluded the Summit by reaffirming Frost & Sullivan’s mission:
“To communicate China’s growth, innovation, and leadership to the world—helping the world better understand China’s value while enabling China to embrace global opportunities.”
He emphasized Frost & Sullivan’s ongoing commitment to Shanghai as its base, continuing to serve China with a global vision, fostering collaboration, and supporting enterprises in both domestic and international growth.
✨ The 19th Frost & Sullivan Global Growth, Innovation & Leadership (GIL) Summit not only showcased the power of innovation and leadership but also set the stage for the next chapter of global growth collaboration.
