What to expect at CIOE, Shenzhen's optoelectronics mega-expo

The CIOE exhibition highlights how optoelectronics is becoming a core enabler for AI infrastructure, especially in smart devices and automotive applications. Upstream chip design and materials firms stand to gain from rising demand for photonic components, while midstream packaging and testing face capacity constraints. Geopolitical dynamics, particularly U.S. export controls on key equipment like lithography machines and lasers, are forcing supply chain reshoring in China. Firms are responding with localized alternatives and vertical integration strategies. In competitive terms, leading players are rapidly building end-to-end photonic ecosystems to secure market dominance. Over the next 12-24 months, as AI compute demand surges, photonic interconnects will emerge as a critical performance bottleneck, signaling an imminent wave of capital investment and technological breakthroughs.