Shanghai blockchain park proves WAIC's worth

By SHE Xiaochen

The 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference kicked off in Shanghai on Thursday, with some of the tangible achievements from previous conferences on show.

The number of exhibition spaces and speakers have both hit record highs, but it's the first time since 2018 that China's top AI conference has been held in real time and space, with everyone gathered in the same place, Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, with sub-conferences held around the city.

Blockchain success

At last year's World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the Shanghai AntChain Industrial Innovation Center was unveiled.

Since then, 16 companies from across the country have chosen to make the AntChain Center home, with occupancy now exceeding 50 percent. It gave birth to 19 service enterprises, eight of which are high-tech.

In August of last year, Shanghai began a national blockchain pilot. Blockchain Eco-Valley in North High-Tech Industrial Park is Shanghai's first location with blockchain as its focus, and around 70 companies have set up businesses there.

Companies in the North High-Tech Industrial Park generate an average annual tax revenue of around 9 billion yuan. There are nearly 1,400 blockchain enterprises across the country with actual output, of which about a quarter are in Shanghai.

Systemic support both upstream and down

AntChain's blockchain technology helps companies in the park quickly establish applications. Mocheng Technology, one of the first companies to settle in the park, has used AntChain tech to build a private domain for information sharing among many EV companies.

CHEN Mintao, founder of Mocheng, said: "The development of blockchain requires systemic support from both upstream and downstream. The cooperation between the North High-Tech Industrial Park and AntChain helps the company offer more, better products and services.