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A technician from SenseTime tests an AI-powered vehicle in Shanghai on Sept 2. [Photo/China Daily]

New generation supercomputing center to offer highly customized integrated solution

Editor's Note: Shanghai's economy remained \r\nresilient despite the COVID-19 impact. To further unleash its enormous \r\ndevelopment potential, Shanghai launched 64 major projects with a \r\ncombined investment of 273.4 billion yuan ($42.2 billion) on the first \r\nworking day of 2021, covering sectors like scientific and technological \r\ninnovation, infrastructure and people's livelihoods. Here are some key \r\nprojects identified for different fields.

Shanghai is expected to host an artificial intelligence-backed super \r\ncomputing platform by next year as the city pushes to use the technology\r\n for industry empowerment and urban management.

The New Generation Supercomputing Center located in Lingang Special \r\nArea at Shanghai's Pilot Free Trade Zone has recently completed \r\nconstruction, just half a year since the grand project kicked off.

The accelerated construction speed was made possible due to \r\nstreamlined procedures by the Lingang Administrative Committee, which \r\nutilizes a joint online portal for civic affairs to handle enterprise \r\naffairs in an efficient manner.

SenseTime, the company behind the 5.6 billion yuan ($867 million) \r\nproject, stands to benefit from this simplified approach, according to \r\nPan Mingwei, who oversees the project at SenseTime.

"Government officials in Shanghai have put their heart and soul into \r\nthe entire process of the project," Pan said. He added that accelerated \r\npaces are being witnessed throughout the entire process, from project \r\ncommencement in July and obtaining a construction permit in September to\r\n roofing completion in December.

Xu Li, co-founder and CEO of SenseTime said: "The infrastructure \r\nproject is in line with SenseTime's strategy to build a best-in-class \r\nartificial intelligence infrastructure for all industries. We hope that \r\nSense-Time will be able to empower various industries and drive growth \r\nof the global economy, society and humanity toward a better tomorrow."

The company said the newly-completed center is expected to \r\n"significantly improve supercomputing power and the iteration efficiency\r\n of its proprietary algorithms".

To be more specific, the computing power of the platform can support \r\nsimultaneous access to 8.5 million video channels. It also says it will \r\nbe able to process videos equivalent to 23,600 years in a single day.

The new 58,000-square-meter facility will also create a \r\nsupercomputing platform based on a deep-learning framework developed by \r\nSenseTime, which will offer highly customized, integrated and \r\nindustry-leading AI solutions to customers from various industries.

Since 2014, SenseTime has deployed AI computing platforms in \r\nShanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. Drawing on \r\nSenseTime's multiple years of scientific research and practical \r\nprojects, the city-level AI computing platform aims to integrate \r\nlarge-scale AI computing power, industrial-grade AI algorithms and open \r\nAI services.

Shanghai has spared no efforts in its ambitions to become a budding \r\nglobal AI powerhouse. For instance, a directive for Lingang Special Area\r\n decreed in December that AI and related industries should hit 90 \r\nbillion yuan by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

Many domestic and international AI powerhouses have flocked to set up\r\n shop in the metropolis. Last year witnessed the launch of a dedicated \r\nAI Tower hosting 20 leading AI firms on the West Bund waterfront in \r\nXuhui district, an AI hub in the city.

They include industry giants such as Microsoft, Huawei and Alibaba as well as leading startups like United Imaging and Yitu.

The city's efforts to boost its AI prominence are also reflected in \r\nthe World AI Conference, which was launched in 2018. Summoning AI \r\nluminaries from Nobel laureates to tech business owners like Elon Musk, \r\nthe event has since developed into an influential platform for AI \r\ncooperation and exchanges, as well as a catalyst for the city's AI \r\nindustry.