2014, China's president Xi Jinping and Prime minister Li Keqiang visited Germany. China and Germany established comprehensive strategic partnership and published the “framework of actions for Sino-German cooperation in the filed of innovation " Both countries decided to make 2015 the Year of German Chinese Innovation Year.

As an important part of the implementation of the “2015 year of science and zukunftsstadt”of two countries, the Sino-German conference "zukunftsstadt was held on 8th may 2015 in shanghai. This conference was on the themes of "urban innovation", "urban and regional planning", "climate and energy-efficient city" and "intelligent solutions for water and infrastructure”.

The conference was held with the support of "Chinese Academy of Engineering, Shanghai Commission of Science and Technology and Yangtze Delta Cities' economic coordination committee. The Chinese vice minister of science and technology (MoST), Dr. Cao Jianlin, and state secretary in the federal ministry of education and research, Dr. George Schuette attended the conference.