AIIA Western China Center Unveiled in Chongqing: Powering a New Heights for AI Industry & Global Collaboration in Western China
November 15, 2025 – The Chongqing International Talent Exchange Conference— "Talent Development Conference for Artificial Intelligence" was successfully held. During the event, the International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance (AIIA), in conjunction with relevant departments of the Chongqing Municipal Government and partner universities, officially unveiled the International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance Western China Center (hereinafter referred to as the "Western Center").
The establishment of the Western Center signifies the formal creation of a crucial strategic anchor for AIIA's presence in Western China. It will serve as a vital platform, linking global resources to facilitate breakthroughs in AI technology and industrial upgrades in Chongqing and the broader Western China region.
Leverage AIIA’s Global Resources, Forge the "Core Engine" for AI Innovation in Western China
As a global AI industry organization, AIIA is committed to the mission of "promoting the development of the international AI industry and facilitating cross-domain innovation and deep integration of AI technology." Currently, AIIA has amassed a network of nearly 1,000 global Fellows and collaborates with hundreds of universities, leading enterprises, and investment institutions, forming a comprehensive scientific and technological service ecosystem that spans technology R&D, talent cultivation, and industrial commercialization.
The establishment of the Western Center is a significant step in AIIA's commitment to supporting China's national AI development strategy and fostering a deep integration between premium global innovation resources and the industrial demands of the western region.
The Western Center will leverage the research capabilities and talent pool of Chongqing University of Science and Technology to fully integrate AIIA's global Academician think tank, technological achievements, and industry resources. It aims to become an open cooperation hub for strategic research, scientific innovation, talent development, industrial commercialization, and international exchange.
Distinguished from traditional liaison offices, the Western Center will focus on practical implementation and tangible outcomes. It will function not only as a "transit station" for channeling global resources to the West but, more importantly, as an engine for driving regional AI technological breakthroughs and nurturing emerging industries. The center will assist Chongqing in becoming a western talent center and innovation highland, eventually growing into a globally influential intelligent industry hub.
With Synergistic Efforts of Three Strategic Directions, Fully Empower Chongqing's Industrial Upgrading
Dr. John Zhang (Zhang Jiujun), Vice Chairman of the International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance (Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering), delivered a speech on behalf of AIIA. He provided a detailed introduction to the development plans for the Western Center.
Dr. Zhang stated that AIIA will leverage the Western Center as a nexus to engage deeply in Chongqing's AI industry development across three key dimensions, maximizing the synergistic effect between global resources and local industries:
1.Jointly Building a Regional Innovation Engine and Targeting Industry Demands
The Western Center will establish a comprehensive innovation platform integrating strategic research, resource importation, achievement commercialization, and project cooperation. It will precisely align with the "33618" modern manufacturing clusters and the development needs of the four major leading industries in Chongqing, continuously empowering regional industrial upgrading.
2.Connecting Global Intellectual Resources to Enhance Corporate Innovation Capacity
The Academician think tank is a core advantage of AIIA and an important support for the Western Center. AIIA will facilitate deep cooperation between Academicians, experts and Chongqing enterprises. This will be achieved by recommending experts to serve as "Chief Scientists" in enterprises, establishing "Academician Expert Workstations" and "AI Joint Laboratories", and other forms of in-depth industry-academia-research collaboration with Chongqing-based businesses. Furthermore, by utilizing AIIA's self-developed tools such as the "AI Innovation Brain," it will help enterprises break through key technological bottlenecks, comprehensively elevating Chongqing's innovation capacities.
3.Establishing a Two-Way Open Bridge to Promote Industry "Internal and External Circulation"
Leveraging AIIA's global network and its cooperation with over 200 international associations and societies, the Western Center will act as a "Super Connector." On one hand, it will provide "global expansion/internationalization" services to Chongqing AI companies, helping them connect with international resources and explore overseas markets. On the other hand, it will proactively introduce top international companies, cutting-edge innovation projects, and high-quality foreign investment. By coordinating with Chongqing's hundred-billion-level fund clusters and the "Golden Phoenix" financial policies, the Center will achieve precise alignment of capital, technology, and industry, driving the integration of Chongqing's AI industry into the global innovation ecosystem.
Through Synergistic Collaboration of Government-Industry-Academia-Research, Solidify the Foundation for Cooperative Development
During the conference, Mr. Jack Cai (Cai Zhongtao), Secretary-General of the International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance, signed several strategic cooperation agreements with the Chongqing Big Data Application Development Administration and Chongqing University of Science and Technology, further strengthening the foundation for government-industry-academia-research collaboration.
In recent years, Chongqing has introduced a series of policies, including the "Golden Phoenix," providing strong support for the establishment of academician expert teams, the construction of research platforms, and the cultivation of innovation projects. These policies have also created favorable conditions for the Western Center to gather high-quality resources.
Additionally, senior Fellows of AIIA, Dr. Hongbo Jiang (Academician of the European Academy of Sciences, IET/AIIA Fellow, and Distinguished Professor at Hunan University) and Dr. Yuanting Zhang (Academician of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, IEEE/AIIA Fellow, and Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong), attended the conference and delivered keynote speeches.
Dr. Jiang Hongbo presented on "From Agrarian Civilization to the New Industrial Revolution: Key Technologies and Prospects for Industrial Digital Transformation in the AI Era," offering an in-depth analysis of the industrial transformation trends driven by Artificial Intelligence. Dr. YuanTing Zhang presented a report titled "Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Health Engineering: From Smart Wearable Devices to Personalized Smart Doctors," systematically elaborated on the innovative applications of AI in precision medicine and smart healthcare.
At the end of the conference, Dr. John Zhang emphasized that Chongqing's policy advantages and industrial ambition are highly complementary to AIIA's global resource system, indicating vast potential and long-term value for the collaboration. Moving forward, AIIA will continue to increase our investment of premium global resources, driving the Western Center to become the "Core Engine" for AI technology innovation and a "Key Hub" for international cooperation in Western China. This effort will not only help Chongqing build a globally competitive AI industry hub, but will also drive the collaborative development of AI industries across Western China, contributing to the high-quality development of China's AI industry.