The 11th World Selenium Capital (Enshi) Selenium Products Expo and Trade Fair opened on October 18 at the Selenium Expo Hub in Enshi, Hubei Province. The expo was co-hosted by the People’s Government of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, the China General Chamber of Commerce, and the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation and organized by the Enshi Prefecture Selenium Resources Protection and Development Center, Enshi Prefecture State-Owned Capital Investment Group, Enshi Prefecture Science and Technology Bureau, and Enshi Prefecture Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.  

(Opening ceremony, Photo by Zhu Chao)  

At the opening ceremony, the National Professional Center for Research and Development of Selenium-Enriched Agricultural Product Processing Technology and the Enshi Prefecture Selenium Resources Protection and Development Center jointly released the 2025 Research Report on the China Selenium Industry Development Index (SeI). The Hubei Provincial Intellectual Property Bureau and the Enshi Prefecture Academy of Agricultural Sciences jointly released the Patent Landscape Report on Hubei Province's Selenium Industry. The Chinese Academy of Quality and Inspection & Testing and the Enshi Prefecture Administration for Market Regulation issued the Guidelines for the Construction of the Selenium-Rich Industry Standard System in Enshi Prefecture. Representatives of the National Technology Transfer Central Center, the Enshi Prefecture Science and Technology Bureau, and the Enshi High-Tech Industrial Development Zone unveiled the Wuling Mountain Subcenter of the National Technology Transfer Central Center. 

The ceremony also featured the launch of 15 new types of products under the "Enshi Selenium Products" brand, alongside a signing ceremony for investment promotion and procurement agreements reaching.  

(Signing ceremony for procurement agreements at the 11th World Selenium Capital (Enshi) Selenium Products Expo and Trade Fair, Photo by Zhu Chao)  

This year's expo was held under the theme "Health and Wellness, New Opportunities in Selenium," highlighting the role of the selenium-enriched industry in advancing health and wellness. Nobel laureates, academicians, experts, and representatives from research institutions gathered in Enshi to exchange insights. Through high-level academic forums and business matchmaking activities, the expo aimed to provide an integrated platform for product displays, trade negotiations, brand promotion, industry matchmaking, and livestreaming. The expo ran through October 20. 

The Enshi Selenium Expo Hub, which also serves as the Enshi Premium Agricultural Products Exhibition and Sales Center, covers a total floor area of 3,800 square meters. It showcased 1,913 types of products from 173 companies across ten categories, including authentic regional medicinal herbs, selenium-enriched healthcare products, and Enshi selenium-rich tea. Outdoor exhibition area covered 8,425 square meters, with dedicated sections for selenium research and innovation, county- and city-level exhibitors, enterprises, and agricultural and sideline products. A total of 48 specially fitted exhibition spaces and 80 standard booths were planned. 

Up to now, Enshi Prefecture has developed 7 million mu (approximately 466,700 hectares) of land for selenium-enriched industrial production. Its innovation infrastructure includes six national-level and 13 provincial-level selenium science and innovation platforms, 18 academicians' and experts' work centers, and three postdoctoral research work centers. The prefecture is also home to 256 above-designated-size enterprises in the selenium industry. The total output value of its selenium-enriched industry has reached RMB 113.1 billion. Since its launch in 2014, the expo has brought together participants from more than 40 countries and regions, including over 360 academicians and experts and more than 4,300 companies. It has fostered a series of cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation, with procurement agreements signed at the expo totaling RMB 13.4 billion.