On September 21, the 6th CCF Chinese Academic Annual Conference on Intelligent Robotics and the Nantong Embodied Intelligence Industry Ecosystem Partners Conference opened in Nantong. Wu Xiaocheng, Party Secretary of Southeast University, and Zhang Tong, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, delivered speeches at the conference and jointly launched the Yangtze River Delta Embodied Intelligence Innovation Consortium with other leaders and distinguished guests.
With the theme “Intelligence Ignites a New Era, Capability Empowers the Universe,” this year’s conference aims to bring together top expertise and industrial strength in China’s intelligent robotics field to explore cutting-edge developments and future trends in intelligent robotics, and to help build an innovative “robot+” ecosystem encompassing areas such as industrial applications, special-purpose applications, services, and healthcare. The conference will not only inject new momentum into Nantong’s efforts to build a highland for the embodied intelligence industry, but also contribute more wisdom and solutions from Nantong to the development of intelligent robotics in China and around the world.
Wu Xiaocheng expressed his gratitude for the long-standing trust and support from all sectors of society toward Southeast University. He said that universities are a key intersection of education, science and technology, and talent, and that Southeast University is one of the earliest research institutions in China to conduct robotics research. The university has always been committed to serving major national strategies, major social concerns, and major industrial needs, and has been striving to promote the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation. Nantong is a core city in the Yangtze River Delta and an important hub for innovation. In its efforts to build a higher-level national innovative city, Nantong is working with Southeast University to jointly establish a collaborative innovation system and create a new model of university-local cooperation between Nantong and Southeast University. The development of “embodied intelligence” science, technology, and industry is a systematic and ecosystem-based undertaking that requires the concerted efforts of government, industry, universities, research institutes, and users to build an innovation ecosystem that enables the healthy development of “technology–industry–society.” He hoped that more industrial resources, talent, and innovative vitality would devote themselves to the field of intelligent robotics, choose Nantong, and establish themselves in Nantong, jointly injecting strong momentum into the development of new quality productive forces in related industries.
In his speech, Zhang Tong said that Nantong is currently advancing the “AI Plus” initiative in depth and, following the approach of “funds first, scenario-driven, platform-enabled, and park-concentrated development,” is focusing on its strengths in shipbuilding and ocean engineering, high-end equipment, home textiles, construction, education, and elderly care. The city is vigorously developing segmented intelligent robotics, vertical-domain models, and key component industries, and accelerating the application of embodied intelligence across industrial manufacturing, logistics and distribution, special operations, and social life. He expressed hope that the Intelligent Robotics Committee of the China Computer Federation and Southeast University will continue to care for and support the development of Nantong’s embodied intelligence industry, and help connect resources and add momentum to Nantong’s progress. He also welcomed academicians, experts, and entrepreneurs to leverage their broad vision, abundant resources, and extensive networks to bring more innovation resources and partners to Nantong. Nantong will actively foster a first-class innovation ecosystem and business environment, fully support the development of the embodied intelligence industry in the city, and work with all parties to share opportunities of the times and create a better future together.
Hou Zengguang, Director of the Intelligent Robotics Committee of the China Computer Federation and Conference Chair, said that intelligent robots have already moved from the laboratory to the front lines of industrial manufacturing, and are now expanding from the laboratory into wider application scenarios such as special-purpose fields, education, family services, and elderly care. They are not only a concentrated embodiment of artificial intelligence, but also an important engine for driving the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing and leading future industrial change. He expressed the hope that all participants would seize this historic opportunity, accelerate breakthroughs in core robotics technologies, improve the robotics industry ecosystem, and promote the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application, turning vision into reality through consensus and cooperation.
At the conference, the Nantong Embodied Intelligence Industry Innovation Alliance was established, and the Chongchuan Branch and Rudong Branch of the Nantong Marine Research Institute of Southeast University were inaugurated. The first batch of Nantong “computing power vouchers” was issued, and a number of embodied intelligence industry-university-research and industrial projects were signed.
This year’s academic annual conference will last for three days. During the event, a series of activities including keynote presentations and academic seminars will be held on topics such as frontier technologies in intelligent robotics and industrial applications, sparking new ideas and inspiring innovation.
Before the opening ceremony, guests toured the exhibition, where a number of well-known embodied intelligence companies, including Unitree Robotics, Qingdong Vision, Duliang Technology, Metaverse Sight, and Xintong Shou, showcased their products and technologies.
