On November 14, JD.com and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) announced the official establishment of a joint laboratory in Hong Kong, aiming to set a new benchmark for AI applications in super supply chains. The signing ceremony was attended by Xu Ran, Vice Chairman of JD.com's SEC and CEO of JD.com, as well as HKUST's Provost Guo Yike and Vice-President (Research and Development) Zheng Guangting.
The "HKUST-JD.com Joint Laboratory" will be jointly managed by HKUST's Cheng Kar-Shun Robotics Institute, JD Explore Academy, and JD Logistics. The collaboration will focus on intelligent supply chain and embodied AI technologies, with research priorities in logistics, healthcare, retail, and industrial sectors.
Additionally, the laboratory will leverage JD.com's extensive scenario data in healthcare, retail, and industrial fields to drive cross-industry innovation. Key research areas include tumor prediction and AI-assisted diagnostics in healthcare, as well as intelligent e-commerce scenario development in retail. By integrating multimodal large models and edge computing optimization algorithms, the lab aims to create replicable smart solutions to accelerate AI adoption across industries.
As a leading research university in Asia, HKUST has achieved multiple breakthroughs in AI and related fields. The partnership will establish a regular exchange platform, open experimental scenarios, share technical resources, and foster joint talent development to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem. JD.com's talent programs, such as the "Top Genius Technologist (TGT) Program" and Postdoctoral Workstation, will expand recruitment in the Greater Bay Area, empowering young professionals to apply AI technologies and drive industrial innovation.
Xu Ran stated at the signing ceremony, "The true value of AI lies in its deep integration with industries. When AI truly embraces industry, trillion-scale opportunities become just the starting point. We look forward to collaborating with HKUST to bring more AI capabilities from the lab to the real world, scaling proven cost-saving models across logistics and other sectors to achieve 'trillion-dollar efficiency gains' and set new AI benchmarks in super supply chains."
Zheng Guangting remarked, "This joint lab represents an innovative fusion of cutting-edge academic research and industrial application. By combining HKUST's pioneering achievements in AI and robotics with JD.com's vast supply chain network and big data, we aim to break through core technical bottlenecks and enhance efficiency and intelligence in logistics, healthcare, and beyond. This collaboration will serve as a powerful engine for new quality productive forces, contributing to national strategic technological advancement."