BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FC Barcelona legend Carles Puyol appeared at Midea's IFA 2026 stand, marking a major European consumer-facing moment for Midea and FC Barcelona's five-year partnership. The former captain discussed leadership and high standards, joined Lewis Fu, President of Midea International, to present a customized FC Barcelona jersey, and toured Midea's SMART MASTER and FC Barcelona partnership zone.
During the conversation, Puyol recalled giving Éric Abidal the captain's armband and inviting him to lift the 2011 UEFA Champions League trophy. For Puyol, leadership means recognizing others, setting an example and maintaining high standards until the final whistle.
"World-class performance is never about individual talent alone. It comes from hard work, continuous improvement and trusting the people around you," said Carles Puyol. "Those values are deeply rooted in FC Barcelona, and I see the same commitment to high standards in Midea. I am proud to help bring them together through this partnership."
"Midea and FC Barcelona share a commitment to world-class performance," said Lewis Fu, "We bring that same discipline and drive for continuous improvement to technology, making everyday life simpler. Having Carles Puyol with us at IFA brings those shared values and our five-year partnership to life."
At Midea's SMART MASTER area, Puyol explored connected home experiences powered by Comfort Agent and Health Agent, bringing "A Home That Understands" to life. Before leaving, a service robot brought him popcorn. Puyol then took on the "Shoot Like a Star" football challenge in the FC Barcelona area.
Midea and FC Barcelona are now in the first season of their five-year partnership, effective July 1, 2026. As the club's Main Partner and Official Home Appliances Partner, Midea's logo appears on the sleeves of its match and training shirts.
At IFA 2026, Puyol's visit brought the partnership closer to fans while reflecting Midea's goal of making advanced technology feel simpler at home.
About Midea and Midea Group
Midea is one of over 10 brands within the Smart Home Business of Midea Group.
Founded in 1968, Midea Group is a leading global technology company and one of the world's largest home appliance manufacturers. As a Fortune Global 500 enterprise, it ranked No. 231 in 2026. The Group operates across seven business pillars: Smart Home, Industrial Technologies, Building Technologies, KUKA, New Energy, Midea Healthcare and ANNTO Logistics.
www.midea-group.com
www.midea.com
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FC Barcelona Legend Carles Puyol Joins Midea at IFA 2026
WENZHOU, China, Oct. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report by China Daily:
On October 24, the World Young Scientist Summit 2026 opened in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. The event is hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, and the World Association of Young Scientists. Nearly 800 representatives, including scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs from more than 60 countries and regions, are attending the summit.
He Junke, Vice President of CAST in charge of daily work and First Secretary of its Secretariat; Lian Yimin, Chairman and Party Group Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Marcelo Knobel, Executive Director of The World Academy of Sciences; and Zhang Zhenfeng, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee, attended the summit and delivered remarks. Yao Gaoyuan, Vice Governor of the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, presided over the first segment of the plenary session.
With the theme "Gathering Talents Worldwide to Create a Better Future," the summit's annual agenda is "Global Youth Action in the AI Era: Building a Sustainable Future." It aims to draw on the insights of young people around the world, deepen international sci-tech cooperation, and jointly address questions about young people, science, the world and the future.
Efim Zelmanov, Fields Medalist and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chen Yunji, Deputy Director of the Institute of Computing Technology, CAS, and Director of the National Key Laboratory of Processor Chips; Mary Garson, President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; and Lu Chaoyang, Member of the Standing Committee of CAST, Executive Dean of the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Study, University of Science and Technology of China, and Chairman of the Council of the World Association of Young Scientists, delivered keynote speeches respectively on education reform in the AI era, AI and processor chips, young women scientists' participation in science, and quantum computing. They explored new opportunities for scientific research, talent cultivation, and international cooperation in the AI era.
This year's summit placed greater emphasis on the growth needs of young scientists, with young talents under the age of 45 accounting for 88 percent of participants. It aimed to build a cluster of international journals, bring together young scientific talent, facilitate a batch of international collaborative projects and advance the application and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements. The summit released the Report on the Distribution and Mobility of Young Scientists in the Field of Embodied Intelligence, launched the World Young Scientist Summit Partner Journal Program and the 2026 World Young Scientist Innovation and Entrepreneurship Growth Support Program. It also published the "Young Scientist Pioneers 2035" list and announced the 2026 Sustainable Development Young Scientist Award. The awards were presented to four Chinese and foreign scientists.
Chen Tianrun, Founder of Hangzhou Moxin Technology Co., Ltd.; Yuan Yang, Assistant to the Dean of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences at Tsinghua University; and two of the 2026 Sustainable Development Young Scientist Award winners, César de la Fuente and Nicola Segata, among other Chinese and foreign young scientist representatives, spoke at the flash-talk session to share their research practices and reflections.
In addition, the conference focused on fields such as future manufacturing, quantum information, embodied intelligence, brain-computer intelligence, environmental science, deep-sea resources, and life and health, and held 12 parallel forums. It also included the "Gravitation π" Future Technology and Concept Products Exhibition and Exchange, local thematic side events, and sci-tech and humanities study visits, further building an interdisciplinary, cross-regional and cross-sector platform for youth sci-tech exchange and cooperation.
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World Young Scientist Summit 2026 Opens in Wenzhou, Zhejiang
