New Zhejiang Lab research centers to boost AI development

Pan Yunhe (left), a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a chief AI scientist at Zhejiang Lab, confers the nameplate of the Intelligent Robot Research Center to center head Gu Jianjun on Sept 8. [Photo from Zhejiang Lab]

Zhejiang Lab, a research institute jointly founded by the Zhejiang provincial government, Zhejiang University and China tech giant Alibaba, announced the setup of five new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-focused research centers on Sept 8.

The Intelligent Robot Research Center, the Machine Learning Research Center, the Intelligent Chip Research Center, the Connected Healthcare Big Data Research Center and the Big Search in Cyberspace Research Center, will all be headed by hand-picked top scientists and focus on ground-breaking new researches.

The Intelligent Robot Research Center will study cutting-edge technology in the field of intelligent robots, as well as consider their practical applications, in a bid to build the center into a world-class innovation hub and a cradle for high-caliber professionals.

The development of the Machine Learning Research Center will be guided by Chinas new-generation AI strategy. It will strive to develop new AI models, methods and platforms.

The Big Search in Cyberspace Research Center, targeting the new smart search engine, will study key technologies related to knowledge acquisition, information management, search engine users, smart answers and cyberspace security.

The Intelligent Chip Research Center will tackle key problems in the development of high-precision and short-distance millimeter-wave and Terahertz radars. Its research findings will boost development of China's robotics industry.

The Connected Healthcare Big Data Research Center will keep pace with the most advanced academic frontiers in the world's healthcare sector and strive to make breakthroughs in key technologies.

Zhu Shiqiang, director of Zhejiang Lab, said the institute will put emphasis on research, technological innovation and the application of findings, and work to build an open and efficient system for scientific researchers based in these labs.

Zhejiang Lab was unveiled on Sept 6, 2017. Over the past year, it has been working hard in five fields including AI, big data and information security. The lab is destined to become a top global innovation base that will make Zhejiang an international center for emerging sectors.