Xiong'an New Area becoming mecca for AI enterprises

With an increasing number of artificial intelligence-related enterprises setting up in Xiong'an New Area — an emerging innovation center near Beijing — AI sector players are rapidly converging in the area, intensifying its innovative atmosphere and inspiring entrepreneurial passion in talent, local officials said.

"The area is striving to build an open and comprehensive industrial ecosystem for AI development in Xiong'an," said Ding Xiaolong, deputy director-general of the area's administrative committee.

Ding made the remark at an AI robotics innovation ecosystem development conference held in the area on Thursday.

During the conference, Mech-Mind Robotics, a unicorn company specializing in AI robotics, made its official debut and commenced operations in the area, injecting fresh momentum into the area's burgeoning AI sector.

Founded in 2016 in the capital, the company relocated its headquarters to Xiong'an in September.

"The relocation was motivated by the area's perfect location, comprehensive AI industry planning, robust infrastructure, talent incentives and favorable business environment," Shao Tianlan, founder and CEO of Mech-Mind Robotics, told China Daily on Thursday.

Located about 100 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, Xiong'an was established in April 2017, dubbed a future city, with innovation and intelligence being two outstanding attributes.

"We will continue to delve into cutting-edge technologies in this field, expand applications and promote more innovative achievements to the global market from Xiong'an," Shao said.

Specializing in computer science, Shao graduated from Tsinghua University in 2012 before going to Germany for graduate studies. Together with two fellow alumni, Shao created Mech-Mind Robotics in 2016, guided by Zhang Jianwei, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

"My aim was to make industrial robots smarter, and capable of dealing with more complex environments and changes," Shao said.

His goals have been realized. To date, Shao's company has swiftly risen to become a prominent high-tech enterprise at the forefront of the global AI robotics sector.

"Leveraging key technological advantages in making industrial 3D cameras and AI-powered software for intelligent robotics, we hold a leading position globally in such technologies and production capacity," Shao said.

Having secured the top rank in domestic sales of AI robots for four consecutive years, Mech-Mind Robotics has expanded its business footprint to over 50 countries and regions worldwide, including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany and India.

"With a very promising start, we believe our development will be even better in Xiong'an by yielding more achievements," Shao said, adding that the AI robots can be applied in multiple fields, including manufacturing, logistics and healthcare.

In addition to Mech-Mind Robotics, several other AI robotics companies from Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, Guangdong province sealed cooperation agreements with the area's reform and development bureau on Thursday.

Furthermore, over 40 AI-related enterprises have been attracted to the area, encompassing various aspects of the AI sector including chips, storage, optical modules, data services and algorithms, Ding said.

A robotics industry alliance was also established to foster the coordinated development of the AI robotics sector, and enhance exchanges and cooperation among upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain.

Ding highlighted the area's strategic emphasis on key directions within the AI sector, such as vertical large models and applied large models, with the establishment of multiple development platforms, including an AI industrial park, urban computing center and pilot base for science and technology innovation.

The AI sector's advances have found applications in diverse sectors within Xiong'an, spanning aerospace information, meteorology, urban operations, water management, transportation and smart homes, Ding added.

"The rich AI applications will comprehensively empower urban operations," he said.