Academician Chen Xiaohong delivered a speech at the conference. She stated that as a major scientific and technological initiative of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and the Provincial Government, Xiangjiang Laboratory serves as an important pillar for Hunan Province to strengthen the "integration of computing data, algorithms, computing power, and computing networks." major scientific and technological innovation platform. Focusing on artificial intelligence and advanced computing, it carries out the "AI+" initiative centering on core elements such as computing data, algorithms, computing power, and computing networks. Over the past three years since its establishment, the laboratory has achieved a series of breakthroughs in scientific research, talent gathering, platform construction, and achievement transformation. This signing marks the upgrading of cooperation from project-level "point-to-point" connection to platform-based, systematic and long-term "face-to-face" collaboration. She hoped that all cooperating parties would jointly build a "new highland" for core technologies, a "strong magnetic field" for innovation elements, and a "fast track" for high-quality development; create a demonstration benchmark for the deep integration of industry, academia, research and application; promote the in-depth integration of the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain and talent chain; and build a key bridge to connect the "laboratory" to the "production line" and the "scientific and technological achievements" to "practical productive forces", thus bridging the final mile gap.

Deputy General Manager Xie Jiuyuan, Chairman He Yongxiang, Chairman Lu Yufeng, Vice President Wang Ling and Executive Vice President Xiong Hui delivered speeches in succession. They stated that they would give full play to their respective advantages in their fields, and under the cutting-edge guidance of Xiangjiang Laboratory, further deepen technological collaboration, scenario development and achievement transformation in the field of artificial intelligence and advanced computing. They also pledged to strengthen resource sharing, talent co-cultivation and ecosystem co-construction, fully tap the maximum potential of industry-university-research-application integration, jointly foster new development drivers and create new development advantages, promote the high-quality development of national and regional economy and society, and make greater contributions to Hunan's construction of the "Three Highlands" and the development of the "4×4" modern industrial system.

Witnessed jointly by the attending leaders, Xiangjiang Laboratory signed an agreement with Hunan Iron & Steel Group to co-found a research institute, and inked strategic cooperation agreements with Rednet Group and MetaX. Subsequently, the representatives of both parties held the unveiling ceremony for three research institutes, namely the Industrial Intelligent Agent and Robotics Innovation Research Institute (co-founded by Xiangjiang Laboratory and Hunan Iron & Steel Group), the High-Efficiency Heterogeneous Computing Innovation Research Institute (co-founded by Xiangjiang Laboratory and Luoge Technology), and the Domestic High-Performance AI Computing and Application Research Institute (co-founded by Xiangjiang Laboratory and Iluvatar CoreX). Warm applause erupted on the scene.

Since its inauguration and official operation on July 10, 2022, Xiangjiang Laboratory has formed a collaborative co-construction model involving its headquarters, universities, and industrial alliance enterprises under the "integration of computing power, algorithm, computing basis and computing network," and established an integrated scientific and technological innovation system comprising innovation research institutes, R&D centers, regional innovation centers, artificial intelligence social laboratories, and PI teams led by academicians and experts. The laboratory has built a full-time and part-time research team consisting of academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, foreign academicians, and national-level talents including Changjiang Scholars and Distinguished Young Scholars, and released 26 innovative products to the public. Xiangjiang Laboratory will join hands with the industrial sector to implement the national innovation-driven development strategy, support the implementation and effectiveness of Hunan's grand blueprint of "Three Highlands, Four New Missions", and provide more solid guarantees and make more outstanding contributions to accelerating the realization of high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology and fostering new quality productive forces.

Company Profiles

Luoge Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. is an integrated service provider specializing in next-generation data science and industry-specific artificial intelligence (AI) technology applications. It is a cutting-edge technology enterprise in Zhongguancun and a specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative enterprise recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. With in-depth deployment in the fields of high-efficiency heterogeneous computing and data science applications, the company has established a complete closed-loop capability system covering core computing power technology R&D, scenario-specific solutions, and industrialization verification. It provides products and operation services for digital and intelligent transformation.

As a leading provider of general-purpose GPU chips and AI computing power solutions in China, Iluvatar CoreX is a key unicorn enterprise under focused support in Shanghai, a designated enterprise technology center, and a technology-based "Little Giant" enterprise. It is committed to developing independent and controllable, world-class general-purpose GPU products, exploring a path for general-purpose GPUs to catch up and surpass global peers, and striving to become the core engine in the computing power ecosystem.

MetaX is a leading domestic enterprise in GPU chip development. It has mastered the full-stack technologies for R&D, design and mass production of high-performance GPU chips and their underlying system software. The company provides end-to-end GPU chips and solutions for heterogeneous computing, contributing to the high-quality development of China's digital economy. On December 17, MetaX was officially listed on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Hunan Iron & Steel Group Co., Ltd. is a large enterprise group formed at the end of 1997 through the merger of three major steel enterprises in Hunan Province—Xiangtan Steel, LY Steel, and Heng Steel. It oversees multiple wholly-owned and holding subsidiaries, including Valin Steel Group, Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group, Lianyuan Iron and Steel Group, and Hengyang Steel Tube Group, with total assets exceeding RMB157 billion, making it the largest state-owned enterprise in Hunan Province.

Rednet.cn serves as the official Party news website of Hunan Province. Established in 2017, Hunan Rednet New Media Group Co., Ltd. has three full-owned subsidiaries: Hunan Rednet Media Co., Ltd., Hunan Rednet New Media Technology Development Co., Ltd. and Hunan Rednet Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. In recent years, through continuous reform, innovation and digital-intelligent transformation, the group has ranked among the top provincial-level key news websites in terms of comprehensive influence.

(Reported by Xiangjiang Laboratory)