AI innovation areas slated for construction

A second batch of nationallevel artificial intelligence innovation areas will be built in Beijing, the Binhai New Area of Tianjin, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Chengdu in Sichuan province, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Friday.

The first such areas were established in 2019 in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, Shenzhen in Guangdong and Shandong province.

Building AI innovation areas is a significant move in efforts to promote the in-depth integration of AI and the real economy, the ministry said.

In Beijing, the area will focus on priority areas such as the utilities of AI in manufacturing, intelligent vehicles and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

The innovation area in Binhai New Area will give play to the policy advantages of the China Pilot Free Trade Zone in Tianjin and promote breakthroughs in the application of AI in manufacturing, ports, communities and other key areas.

Efforts will be made to further promote the application of AI technology in smart city administration, manufacturing and financial services in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang, according to the ministry.

Given Chengdu’s geographic advantage in the Belt and Road Initiative, the AI innovation area in the Sichuan provincial capital will work to empower small and medium-sized enterprises with AI technology and focus on medical and financial industries to create a dynamic industry environment in the country’s western regions.