Nansha's investment conference features AI

The 2018 Guangzhou Annual Investment Conference opened at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center on the morning of March 28. Nansha district hosted an important sub-forum themed "To develop a fertile land for AI technologies, and to shape the Greater Bay Area's future with innovations". 

Among the participants were government officials including Party Secretary of Nansha district, Cai Chaolin, and director of Nansha district, Zeng Jinze, entrepreneurs from well-known enterprises such as Huawei, Genting Hong Kong, and iFLYTEK, as well as diplomats from foreign consulates in Guangzhou.

In his speech at the forum, Cai Chaolin stressed the historic development opportunity that lies ahead for Nansha district. Cai mentioned that the Greater Bay area, with a population of 67 million and a GDP of 10 trillion yuan ($1,590 billion) in 2017, is to become a world-first-rate city cluster. Nansha district has a huge potential for economic development since it is in the center of Greater Bay, serves as an international shipping hub, and enjoys favorable policies as a national economic development zone as well as a national free trade zone.

Cai Chaolin, Party secretary of Nansha district, addresses the forum themed "To develop a fertile land for AI technologies, and to shape the Greater Bay Area's future with innovations" held on March 28. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Zeng Jinze briefed attendees on the investment environment and artificial intelligence industry in Nansha district. Zeng said that, Guangzhou city is implementing its development strategy on IAB (next generation of information technology, artificial intelligence and biological medicine) industries, and Nansha district will bear the heaviest duty in this cause, setting the AI industry as its top priority.

According to Zeng, Nansha has already made some preliminary achievements in the AI industry. It has set up four industrial platforms which have concentrated a total of 30-odd AI companies, which fully cover every application area of AI technology. The Guangzhou International Institute of Artificial Intelligence, the largest of its kind in the world, was established in the district last December.

In terms of talent recruitment, Nansha has successfully drawn a large group of top AI experts, such as Yang Zhiyuan, who founded Yahoo, Yao Qizhi, who won the A.M. Turing Award, Lou Tiancheng, who was a core engineer at Google, Wei Si, chief scientist of iFLYTEK, and Wu Ren, former Chief Software Architect of AMD.

Wu Junhua, vice-president of the South China affiliate of iFLYTEK, makes a keynote speech at the forum on March 28. [Photo provided to China Daily]

At the forum, some AI experts shared their thoughts on the innovation and entrepreneurship taking place in Nansha district.

Wu Yanjun, deputy chief engineer at the Institute of Software Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISCAS), believed that Nansha district could strive to compensate the shortcomings of China's AI software industry, providing an advanced and reliable software supply chain for AI , auto, robotics, and many other areas.

Wu Junhua, vice-president of the South China affiliate of iFLYTEK, praised the rapid development of the AI industry that occurred in Nansha district over the past two years. The settlement of a large group of high-tech enterprises did indeed boost the local economy. An example of how this happened, is the smart medical care and smart education solutions offered by iFLYTEK that have been put into practice, which will help Nansha district upgrade its industrial structure and realize sustainable economic development.  

At the forum, Nansha district government signs cooperation agreement with various companies, involving a total investment of 30 billion yuan. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Hu Wen, COO of Pony.ai, stated that Nansha district has made great efforts in supporting the R&D of autonomous driving technologies in terms of recruiting talents, building test-drive grounds, and offering a technical support platform. He is confident that Nansha will form an AI-related industrial cluster and become a demonstration zone for China's "AI plus Smart City" program.

A series of cooperation agreements between Nansha authorities and various companies including China Resources were signed at the forum, involving a total investment of 30 billion yuan. The agreements involved headquarter sites, shipping, high-end manufacturing, urban construction, and financial services.

Nansha also signed partnership memorandums with the "Big Four" firms (namely Deloitte, PwC, Ernst & Young, and KPMG), CNBC, and world-famous consulting firms, seeking their professional assistance in its business promotion.