A bird's eye view of the AIsland, which is located in Zhangjiang Science City in Shanghai. [Photo by Shen Chunchen/For China Daily]

SHANGHAI -- IBM China signed an agreement with Shanghai Zhangjiang Group on Friday to build the first Watson Build Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Center in China through a three-year partnership, in a bid to cultivate AI talent and accelerate AI applications.

Located on the AIsland of Zhangjiang Science City in Pudong New Area, a hub for the AI industry, the Watson Build AI Innovation Center plans to serve 500 domestic and foreign companies and incubate 30 to 60 innovative development results such as intellectual property and patents within three years.

In terms of personnel training, the innovation center will train at least 500 people annually.

"China's AI industry is rising and has unlimited development potential. This partnership allows IBM to bring our cloud and AI technologies and industry expertise to Chinese industries and innovative startups," said Liming Chen, IBM Greater China Group chairman.

The cooperation is based on a memorandum of understanding signed by the two parties during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in Shanghai in August when Shanghai issued a three-year action plan to boost the development of its AI industry to build itself into an AI highland by 2021.