Chongqing welcomed over 30 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and scholars engaging in electronic information, who shared state-of-the-art technologies, industrial focus and applications, and opinions on cross-industry and cross-field applications and developments of new technologies.

The main forum of the 15th China Electronics and Information Technology Conference was held in Chongqing from April 17 to 18.

Integrating research with industrial innovation

Su Donglin, a CAE academician and professor at Beihang University, suggested integrating basic research with industrial innovation to industrialize scientific research achievements of electronic information during the school-local government cooperation.

"Universities and enterprises should work together as a team to tackle problems," said Su. "As theoretical fruits are faced with many restrictions in practical application, theoretical researchers need to 'take one more step forward,' to stimulate the industrialization of scientific research achievements."

Su's team is planning to intensify communication with Chongqing universities for more cooperation.

Building multi-level Industrial Internet platforms

Zhang Ping, a CAE academician and professor at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications analyzed Chongqing's strengths in utilizing the Industrial Internet for high-quality industrial development.

This includes the solid industrial foundation and full-fledged industrial categories, which have made the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry possible.

"One vital precondition for 5G + smart manufacturing is good infrastructure," said Zhang. He thinks Chongqing should make efforts to develop the new digital infrastructure construction while catalyzing the systematical planning.

This is to continuously build systematical and multi-level Industrial Internet platforms and boost transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry with all its strength, said Zhang.

Zhang also noted that applications concerning 5G + smart manufacturing are under research. Meanwhile, Chongqing should take the lead in further expanding the fields and spaces of digital economic development, with the two pillar industries, automobile, and electronics, as the focus.

Developing new AIoT infrastructure construction

What are the new levers for Chongqing to build new business formats in the digital economy?

Fan Bangkui, a CAE academician and Chief Supervisor of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, thought the city could ride the wave of drones to bolster up new low-altitude AIoT infrastructure construction.

Fan introduced the low-altitude AIoT, which refers to an intelligent digital network system built with network, digital, and intelligent technologies in low-altitude airspace (below 3,000 meters). It is the foremost infrastructure to develop applications in the low flying aircraft industry and is of great significance to build emerging industries of the digital economy.

"The key of the drone industry does not lie in the manufacturing of relevant platforms, but professional services for fields of the national economy," said Fan.

He added the drone-related professional services have a promising future in agriculture, forestry, generalized remote sensing detection, logistics and transportation, public security, entertainment, and consumption.

Fan also believed that the low-altitude economy is expected to be a new engine for economic and social development, and it is strategically essential to grow low-altitude AIoT infrastructure construction and build new business formats in the digital economy.

Indeed, Fan said that Chongqing could launch preemptive actions to seize opportunities and be a pacesetter in this field.

Making efforts in independent R&D of industrial robots

How can Chongqing empower industrial development with 5G technologies?

Tan Jianrong, a CAE academician and professor at Zhejiang University, was bullish on 5G, as it is fast and efficient with low latency, allowing it to fulfill its potential in the industrial field.

"Chongqing features solid industrial foundation, and industrial robots are the most typical application of 5G technologies in the industrial field," said Tan. "The city needs to apply such technologies in industries and intensify independent R&D of industrial robots, achieving breakthroughs in key technologies, to power the higher-quality development of the industrial system." 

According to Tan, great improvements have been seen in machine autonomy, multi-machine collaboration, and man-machine communication. It has been more mature to apply industrial robots. With the rapid growth of smart manufacturing, the market will be in greater need of such robots.

 "This will expedite the growth of scenario-based application of 5G technologies in developing intelligent industrial robots," said Tan. " This is in turn about to usher China's industrial robot industry into a rising stage."