The Nantong Innovation Empowerment Center of the Shenzhen Artificial Intelligence Industry Association was inaugurated in Chongchuan district on Jan 27. 

Chongchuan has in recent years made AI one of the six key emerging future industries to be developed. The establishment of the Nantong Innovation Empowerment Center marks an important milestone in its development of the AI industry, exemplifying the vibrant cross-regional innovation collaboration between Shenzhen and Nantong. 

The center plans to align Shenzhen's advantages in technology, talent, and capital with Nantong's strengths in industrial foundation and application scenarios, building a collaborative platform to propel the deep application of AI technologies in fields such as integrated circuits, life and health, and automotive electronics. 

During the event, the AI Industry Development Implementation Plan was released, setting a goal for the local AI-related industry to achieve an output value exceeding 10 billion yuan ($1.44 billion) during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period (2026-2030). 

Additionally, six key AI projects that are still in the planning or pre-implementation stage were unveiled at the event. They cover cutting-edge fields such as wearable medical device manufacturing, robot testing, and AI-driven antibacterial protein drug development, and are expected to further promote regional industrial growth.