Jinan and Qingdao are leading Shandong's New and Old Kinetic Energy Conversion. Similarly, Shenzhen is the technological powerhouse of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Jinan-Qingdao (in Shandong Province) and Shenzhen are approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to build the pilot zones for innovation and application of Artificial Intelligence.
This May, Shanghai's Pudong New Area was selected as the first pilot zone for AI application. Three goals are specified: to establish an AI core industrial cluster, to promote AI application and to build a supporting system for AI innovation, in industries including manufacturing, medical care, transportation and finance. The city plans to expand its industry scale to over CNY 100 billion (USD 14.5 billion) by 2020.
The AI pilot zones are set based on the main theme of 2019 Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission, a committee set China's long term reform plan, to deepen the integration of AI and the real economy.
These pilot zones are approved due to the relatively comprehensive AI chains, from the fundamental technology to industrial application level. Meanwhile, Jinan and Qingdao are leading Shandong's New and Old Kinetic Energy Conversion. Similarly, Shenzhen is the technological powerhouse of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Qingdao and Jinan, are the top two cities in terms of GDP in Shandong, the third-largest province of China. In 2018, the nominal GDP of Qingdao, hometown of Haier and Hisense, is CNY 1,200.15 billion (USD 169.48 billion) and the growth rate of 7.4%; Jinan reached GDP of CNY 785.66 billion (USD 110.95 billion) with a growth rate 7.4%.
China's technology hub Shenzhen recorded CNY 2400 billion (USD 338.92 billion), rising 7.5% year-on-year. Shenzhen has the advantages of the information and communication industry, strong innovation and globalization atmosphere, as the headquarter of many leading Chinese tech companies including Huawei, Tencent, DJI. The new AI pilot zone will focus on advantageous industries such as smart chips, drones, connected cars, robots, as well as medical health, finance, supply chain, transportation and manufacturing, where cutting edge innovations are expected.
Jinan-Qingdao, on the other hand, does not possess a strong AI advantage but has a good manufacturing foundation, with rich data and application scenarios. The cross-regional AI innovation ecosystem will promote the deep integration of AI and manufacturing, medical, smart home, rail transit, to test and launch products and services enabled by AI.