More than 2,050 inventions from across China were showcased at the 24th National Exhibition of Inventions that opened in Foshan, Guangdong province, last week.

This year's event, held from Nov 19-21, attracted more than 5,000 participants from more than 800 companies, universities and research institutes.

It featured an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, presenting innovations in fields ranging from poverty alleviation, intangible cultural heritage, high-end equipment manufacturing and energy conservation to teenagers' inventions.

Among them was a method for increasing the effects of mill scale removal in iron and steel production developed by Shougang Jingtang Iron and Steel United, a subsidiary of steelmaker Shougang Group.

Balancing temperature and mill scale removal is a tough job in the steelmaking industry, said Liu Yanqiang, an inventor of the method.

Mill scale removal operates at a relatively low temperature, which results in difficulties in the fluidity of molten iron, Liu noted.

In steel production, it requires the removal of mill scale from steel surfaces while maintaining a high-temperature, he explained.

"We found this problem when our company began steel production in 2009," Liu said.

After nearly a decade of research and optimization, Liu and his team invented a new method in 2017.Based on dynamics, it can realize an increase in the efficiency of converter operation in steelmaking and thus help mill scale removal and contribute to producing high-quality steel, according to Liu.

The invention contributes more than 6 million yuan ($912,120) to the company's revenue a year.

Another invention was an intelligent photovoltaic plant inspecting system. It was developed by Beijing Lifin-Tech, a manufacturer in the field of renewable energy, in cooperation with Japanese AI and image processing company, Ricoh Group.

Using artificial intelligent technology, the system can help collect data and analyze photovoltaic modules and automatically recognize modules' failures including appearance abrasion, according to the company.

The system can compete for a leading position in the country－and even the world－in terms of its mass inspection capability, according to Yang Guangwei, chairman of Lifin-Tech.

"It took nearly four years for us to develop the system and it has inspected more than 100 power stations," Yang said.

Photovoltaic power stations encounter damages during operation, which reduces power production. This system can achieve a comprehensive inspection to prevent such situations, he said.

"New energy is an emerging industry in our country," he said. "Helping to ensure the industry's security through intelligent technology to increase its management and efficiency will also be a need in the future."

Apart from commercial innovations, inventions from teenagers were highlighted at the exhibition.

One example was a mechanical arm for retrieving items dropped in drains, which was developed by students from the Middle School Attached to Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou.

"Our idea of the invention was inspired by one of my teachers who frequently drops his stuff in drains," said Li Yiming, one of the inventors.

Li is a second-year student at the middle school and he developed the arm with his classmates this year.

The arm is equipped with a camera and fingerlike clasps, which can work even in complex and narrow sewer tunnels, according to Li.

"Through the arm, it is clear to see drainage on the video recorder and that can also help find lost articles efficiently," he said.

"We have science courses at school, which encourage innovation," Li said. "I like creation through observation in my daily life, which gives me strong motivation for innovating."

Focused on encouraging invention and innovation, the exhibition also saw a series of competitions. One was a skills development and technology innovation competition among participants from the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, especially Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

During an award ceremony of the event, the World Intellectual Property Organization announced winners of awards in the categories of women, teenagers and best inventions.

"These awards from WIPO mean our respect to and recognition of inventors," said Liu Hua, head of the WIPO's China office. "That also demonstrates the role of innovation, creation and technology in driving socioeconomic development."