Tianjin makes great efforts in developing AI industry

BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Tianjin has made great efforts in developing artificial intelligence (AI) industry in recent years by holding world intelligence congresses (WICs) to promote implementation of AI projects. 

Tianjin held the first World Intelligence Congress in 2017. It has seen 200 cooperation agreements with a total investment of 261 billion yuan signed at the WICs held from 2017 to 2019, noted Zhou Shengxi, chief economist with Tianjin bureau of industry and information technology. 

Projects introduced by Tianjin through WICs include intelligent projects of TCL, Gome, iFLYTEK, new material park project of China Electronics Technology, industrial Internet platform project of Haier, and intelligent logistics R&D and manufacturing base of JD.com. These projects are becoming new highlights of Tianjin's intelligent manufacturing industry, said Yin Jihui, director with Tianjin bureau of industry and information technology.

Driven by WICs, the number of intelligent manufacturing enterprises in Tianjin now accounts for 20 percent of the city's total number of enterprises with main business revenue of 20 million yuan and above.

In terms of financial support, Tianjin has set up 10 billion yuan of special funds for upgrading production factors, processes, and industrial chain of intelligent manufacturing. 

In the past two years, the city arranged 3.62 billion yuan of financial funds to build intelligent factories and digital workshops. By the end of 2019, 60 intelligent factories and 100 digital workshops had been built in Tianjin.

Currently, 80 5G application scenarios have been developed in Tianjin's local industries such as intelligent manufacturing, smart city, intelligent education, intelligent healthcare, and smart media. 

Tianjin will continue to attract more high-quality projects to settle down in the city. Efforts will also be made to promote 5G application and industrial development to build Tianjin into a first-class city featuring the use of 5G and intelligent manufacturing, according to Yin. 

The fourth World Intelligence Congress, co-hosted by the National Development and Reform Comission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Tianjin Municipal People's Government, among others, will be convened online from June 23 to 24. (Edited by Su Dan with Xinhua Silk Road, silviasu07@163.com)