The eighth International Exhibition of Inventions in Kunshan, Jiangsu province provided a venue for inventors to exchange ideas and seeking collaboration opportunities, according to organizers.

The fair from Nov 19 to 22 attracted visitors from more than 30 countries and regions including the United States, Germany and South Korea as well as five international organizations including the Asian and Pacific Center for Transfer of Technology and the International Federation of Inventors' Associations.

"The exhibition connects companies and inventors so innovation can create value in real life," said Lu Dahan, secretary-general of the China Invention Association, one of this event's organizers.

"It will also inspire inventors by providing the latest technologies and findings."

More than 3,000 inventions were displayed at the 20,000-square-meter exhibition, including home cleaning robots, a winter-friendly wedding dresses, anti-terrorism robots and wearable devices.

Leading companies and research institutions such as Baosteel Group and Tsinghua University also participated in the largest invention fair in China in terms of participant number.

Creations by students became a highlight in this year's event. Student inventions such as an automatic teller machine that prevents users forgetting cards when they leave and a portable pet-cleaning machine caught the attention of visitors.

Participating inventors said the fair helps them spread ideas and find partners to achieve their business goals.

"We think invention is revolutionary - it will change people's mindset, and this platform will help us promote our ideas much quicker and wider," said Ma Hongzheng, assistant of general manger of Shanghai Sleepower Environmental Tech Co, a company that specializes in a new type of mattress.

The mattress uses processed microlite material inside, "something between a liquid and solid more fitting a user's body when he lies on it", Ma said.

After heated by electricity, it can maintain a set temperature for comfort and health, he added.

In addition, organizers set up "maker space" for the first time in the exhibition area with more than 100 global producers demonstrating their latest achievements.

A delegation from the United States exchanged opinions on manufacturing cultures with their Chinese peers.

A forum on Nov 20 provided up-to-date information and inspired participants.

"By setting up this area, we hope more people will get engaged in invention to promote the development of society," said Lu. "The development of the Internet and the change in people's knowledge structure will make creation more efficient".

A special zone known as TRIZ in the fair was crowded with interested visitors.

According to Lu, TRIZ is a term to describe a problem-solving, analysis and forecasting tool derived from the study of patterns of invention in global patent literature.

President of the International TRIZ Association Sergei Ikovenko gave training courses during the exhibition period.

"The area was designed to provide inventors theoretical support to reduce the failure rate and enhance efficiency," said Lu.

Figures from IFIA show that Chinese inventors are playing a more important role in the global invention sector.

Chinese inventors topped the list in 2013 by contributing 560,000 inventions, a sharp increase from 40,000 in 2002, followed by Japan and the United States, according to Andras Vedres, president of IFIA.

Zhang Qin, vice-president of the China Association for Science and Technology, said innovation has become a key element to support economic growth, so it is necessary to encourage more people involved themselves in technological invention.

During the exhibition, IFIA held an annual meeting to select its new chairman.

The international fair started in 1988 and was held every four years in different cities before 2012. Kunshan, a manufacturing hub between Shanghai and Suzhou, was selected as a permanent venue for the event in last year.

"We want to build a world famous invention event so it is necessary to have a permanent location," said Lu. "The move will make the event more professional".

tangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn