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This week, Alibaba Group’s cloud computing subsidiary is partnering with China’s Institute of Geophysics to give earthquake research in China a digital makeover.
In other news, Cainiao Group signed a cooperation agreement with consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) this week to make supply chains greener.
Hot off the press, China’s Giant Network Group and Alibaba Cloud signed a memorandum of cooperation on Friday to leverage the power of artificial intelligence in gaming.
Alibaba Cloud Gives Earthquake Research a Digital Makeover
Alibaba’s cloud computing subsidiary said it’s partnering with the Institute of Geophysics under the China Earthquake Administration to give earthquake research in China a digital makeover.
The Hangzhou-based company is helping the institute to migrate its seismic dataset to the cloud for more efficient data management. It also enables seismologists at the institute to have secure access to the datasets wherever they are.
The duo struck a strategic partnership in areas including earthquake science, earthquake AI technology, model development and talent training, Alibaba Cloud said in a statement.
Leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s advantage in cloud computing and AI, and the institute’s expertise in earthquake research, they will work on building digital solutions for earthquake mitigation and forecasts.
According to the World Health Organization, between 1998-2017, earthquakes caused nearly 750,000 deaths globally, more than half of all deaths related to natural disasters. More than 125 million people were affected by the earthquakes during the period, either injured, made homeless, or evacuated during the disaster.
“We hope that we can leverage Alibaba Cloud’s tech capabilities to facilitate innovations in geophysics research and contribute to strengthening resilience to natural disasters as part of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Wang Weihua, head of the public service department at Alibaba Cloud.
Alibaba Cloud to Help China’s Giant Network Accelerate Efficiency in Gaming Development
China’s Giant Network Group and Alibaba Cloud signed a memorandum of cooperation on Friday to leverage the power of artificial intelligence in gaming development.
Alibaba Cloud will provide cloud computing support and its AI-driven solution, including its Machine Learning Platform for AI, to help Giant Network increase efficiency in gaming development.
Generative AI and other foundation models are reducing application development time and delivering powerful capabilities to the fingertips of non-technical users. LLM use cases in text, audio and video generation, and 3D rendering can speed up and enhance online games and content production, according to online gaming analysts.
Earlier this month, Alibaba Cloud said that Tongyi Qianwen had amassed over 300,000 beta testing requests since its launch in April.
Alibaba Mulls Joining Ant’s Share Buyback
Alibaba is considering selling shares to Ant Group as part of its financial affiliate’s proposed buyback.
News of the buyback comes after Chinese regulators said they were normalizing supervision of the nation’s platform companies.
Ant, the operator of Alipay, notified shareholders of a meeting to approve its proposed repurchase of up to 7.6% of its equity, Alibaba said in a stock exchange filing. Alibaba holds a third of Ant’s equity.
Cainiao Teams Up With Proctor & Gamble To Develop Green Supply Chain
Cainiao Group, the logistics arm of Alibaba Group, signed a cooperation agreement with consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) this week to create an AI-powered supply chain.
The partners aim to reduce transportation costs and carbon emissions. They are deploying a fulfillment algorithm that can predict demand for goods and then consolidates cargo headed for the same address.
Cainiao is leveraging its technology to provide supply chain solutions and will help P&G upgrade its own fulfillment services, Shuai Yong, Vice President of Cainiao Group, noted in a statement.
Learn more about Cainaio’s efforts to turn green
Freshippo Launches Fully-Automated Supply Chain Center in Shanghai
Alibaba’s high-tech grocery company Freshippo said it had cut the ribbon on its largest supply chain center to date.
Located in Shanghai, the nearly 1 million square foot center can sort over 2.8 million items per day – a mix of local and globally-sourced grocery goods curated to feed China’s growing appetite for quality foodstuffs.
The grocery store chain has formed sourcing partnerships with 33 retailers worldwide so far this year, and is setting up eight procurements centers outside of China as part of the company’s streamlined supply chain.
Check out Freshippo’s steps to beef up its supply chain before listing
Timeless Skin Care’s China Expansion Creates Jobs in Texas
Since Timeless Skin Care was founded, China’s beauty products market has ballooned, particularly for the US firm’s hero product, hyaluronic acid serum. In a report dated 2020, data provider MarketReseach forecast a compound annual growth rate for hyaluronic acid across industries of 10.3%, or $436 million, between 2020 and 2026.
“The success we’ve had partnering together with Alibaba has been phenomenal,” founder Veronica Pedersen said. “Our partnership with Alibaba and the success we’ve seen in China has helped us hire more employees and open a new manufacturing facility.”
