Beijing, China, July 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The inaugural "Shenzhi Cup" Artificial Intelligence Innovation Competition, guided by the Organizing Committee Office of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and co-hosted by Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment Co., Ltd. and the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), has recently completed its online preliminary round judging. Forty teams from around the world have advanced to the final round, which will be held in Shanghai from July 14 to 18, 2026. The final results will be showcased during the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference.
Under the theme "Gathering Intelligence, Pioneering the Future," the competition features four tracks with a total prize pool of RMB 4 million. The preliminary round attracted 1,451 teams from over 30 countries and regions, setting a new record for similar events. More notably, the competition presents three structural highlights in participant composition, commercialization mechanisms, and contest design, distinguishing it from traditional AI competitions.
Highlight 1: 1,451 Global Teams Compete Together, "Internationalization + Industry-University-Research Collaboration" Forms the Foundation
Preliminary round data shows that participating teams come from over 30 countries and regions including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Singapore, and India, representing leading tech enterprises, "Double First-Class" universities, national-level research institutes, startup teams, and independent developers.
Notably, Chinese and international teams demonstrate clear complementary strengths: overseas teams excel in algorithm originality and interdisciplinary paradigm innovation, while domestic teams outperform in scenario understanding and engineering implementation. Some projects have already entered the joint verification phase with leading manufacturing enterprises. This collision of "global creativity + Chinese scenarios" makes the competition not just an arena, but also a testing ground for international AI technology exchange and industry collaboration.
Highlight 2: "Industrial Capital + Professional Technology" Dual-Drive Model Bridges the Gap from Lab to Industry
Unlike typical AI competitions, this event has established a unique support system.
As the core investment and operation platform for Shanghai's three leading industries, Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment manages nearly RMB 300 billion in assets, injecting strong industrial capital and implementation channels into the competition. In addition to the RMB 4 million prize pool, the company provides access to investment and financing matchmaking, application scenarios, and technology chain empowerment, truly realizing a direct path from "laboratory" to "production line."
As China's leading professional research institution in information and communications, CAICT boasts extensive expertise in technical standard research, testing and verification, and industrial policy support. Its deep involvement in the competition's planning and organization ensures professional standards in technical evaluation and industry orientation through its technical expertise and industry credibility.
This combination of "industrial capital + professional technology" gives the "Shenzhi Cup" a core competitive edge over similar competitions in terms of authoritative technical judgment, feasible industrial transformation, and professional event organization.
Highlight 3: Four Tracks Address Real Industry Challenges, Final Round Seamlessly Connects with WAIC to Form "Competition-Conference-Industry" Closed Loop
Guided by the design principle of "real scenarios, real data, real verification," the four tracks cover key nodes across the entire industry chain from underlying computing power to scientific intelligence. Unlike competitions focused primarily on proposal presentations, this event emphasizes practical application.
The AI Computing Power and Architecture Track conducts centralized testing on a third-party AI chip testing and evaluation platform, continuously assessing system stability and energy efficiency performance;
The Embodied Intelligence and Robotics Track features on-site real-machine competitions, with teams competing on three industrial tasks: dynamic sorting, material handling, and component assembly;
The AI4S Scientific Intelligence Application Track requires teams to complete on-site system verification demonstrations;
The AI Terminal and Human-Computer Interaction Hackathon Track centers on 48-hour time-limited development and real-scenario prototype demonstrations.
The final round, scheduled for July 14–18, coincides with the lead-up to WAIC, and competition results have been integrated into the conference's overall agenda. Outstanding projects will not only be showcased on this national and world-class stage but also gain priority access to capital matchmaking and scenario implementation through Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment's industrial ecosystem matrix. Industry observers note that this "competition-conference-industry" tripartite model positions the "Shenzhi Cup" as both a "preview arena" for WAIC's cutting-edge achievements and a "launch pad" for outstanding projects to achieve industrialization, offering a "Shanghai paradigm" for global AI competitions.
From underlying computing power to scientific computing, from terminal interaction to embodied intelligence, the four tracks of the "Shenzhi Cup" systematically cover key technological directions across the entire AI industry chain. With the preliminary round concluded, global AI innovation forces are set for a true showdown of capabilities on the final stage. This AI grand gathering is driving deep integration between technological innovation and industrial application through a pragmatic and efficient closed-loop model.
More exciting moments from the final round will be revealed during WAIC in July. Stay tuned.
https://www.industrial-bigdata.com/game/
Wang yutong wangyutong@mujingnow.com
