Algorithm is the jewel in the crown of artificial intelligence. As one of the brand competitions of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (hereinafter referred to as WAIC) and an annual global competition in the field of artificial intelligence, which was the first to "promote the industrialization of algorithms", the launch ceremony of the Second Screening on Best Practices of Applied Algorithms (BPAA) in 2022, which was organized by the Office of the Organizing Committee of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and supported by Putuo District People's Government of Shanghai, was successfully held online on June 24, 2022, and the competition registration for it was officially open to the world.

Zhang Ying, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Xu Shujie, Deputy District Head of Putuo District, Shanghai, Zhong Junhao, Secretary General of Shanghai AI Industry Association and Shanghai Technical Committee for Standardization of Artificial Intelligence, Song Haitao, Executive Director of Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute and Vice President of Artificial Intelligence Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Li Bin, Chairman of Future Cloud, Tu Weiwei, Vice President and Principal Scientist of 4Paradigm, Yuan Yue, Chairman of Dataway and Xu Zhengjun, Vice President of Technology, recorded a mobilization video for the launch of the competition.

BPAA Helps to Continuously Promote the Industrialization of Algorithms

Zhang Ying, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization: The second BPAA is fully launched in response to the Algorithm Innovation Action Plan

In the iron triangle of artificial intelligence which is composed of calculation volume (data), calculation power, and algorithm, the algorithm determines the application value of calculation volume and calculation power, and the algorithm level is one of the key indicators to measure the level of digital construction. However, at present, the industry still ignores the development of algorithm industrialization, and the weak algorithm technology and algorithm resources are the core gap between China and developed countries in the field of artificial intelligence. Thanks to the introduction of the "14th Five-Year Plan for Development of Digital Economy", "Regulations on the Administration of Algorithm Recommendations for Internet Information Services", and the implementation of the special action of "Qinglang - 2022 Algorithm Comprehensive Governance", algorithm, a critical element in the current construction of digital economy, was growing more and more popular in 2022.

In July 2021, Shanghai issued the "Shanghai New Generation Artificial Intelligence Algorithm Innovation Action Plan (2021-2023)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan") to innovate algorithm applications, cultivate algorithm ecosystem, and gather algorithm talents. Zhang Ying, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, noted that the "Action Plan" aimed to form an application ecosystem marked by artificial intelligence algorithm products by 2023. The full launch of the Second Screening on Best Practices of Applied Algorithms (BPAA) is a powerful action to respond to the call of the "Action Plan" to promote the clustering, ecological and high-quality development of the algorithm industry, and help Shanghai create a leading position in the global algorithm industry.

Xu Shujie, Deputy District Head of Putuo District, Shanghai: Shanghai Algorithm Valley is about to be born in Putuo, and we look forward to more excellent teams to join

As an artificial intelligence algorithm competition focusing on internationalization, setting up practice benchmarks, and vertical scenario applications, BPAA will continue to "promote the industrialization of algorithms" this year, and it will use the extensive influence of the platform to gather international algorithm resources, spread algorithm practice benchmarks, cultivate exemplary algorithm teams, build algorithm industry ecosystem, construct Shanghai Algorithm Valley (SAV), and establish a leading position in the global algorithm industry.

Xu Shujie, Deputy District Head of Putuo District, Shanghai, also said, Putuo District, as a government support unit of BPAA, has released Shanghai's first district-level special policy for digital transformation - "Implementation Opinions on Supporting Digital Transformation Development in Putuo District" in order to solidly implement the industrial landing and long-term development of artificial intelligence in Putuo District, and implement the requirements of the "Action Plan", actively promote the formulation of special policy for digital transformation, and prepare for the establishment of the first Shanghai algorithm industry cluster - Shanghai Algorithm Valley (SAV) in Putuo District, and we look forward to more excellent algorithm teams to take this good opportunity to establish companies in Putuo.

The Second BPAA Focuses More on the Innovation and Application of Algorithms

BPAA has strict competition system process and evaluation standards. In terms of the competition system, the Second Screening on Best Practices of Applied Algorithms (BPAA) will continue the first competition system, and set up five major tracks such as public algorithm, financial algorithm, medical algorithm, industrial algorithm and commercial algorithm in 12 regional competition sites in 7 competition areas such as the Yangtze River Delta, Greater Bay Area, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, the central and western regions in China and overseas North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. It will extensively collect benchmarking algorithm practice projects and cutting-edge algorithm application talents from algorithm teams from global artificial intelligence companies, professional algorithm development and application institutions, and algorithm teams from academic research institutions, etc.

In terms of the competition process, the registration for the Second BPAA ends on July 31, and then all the competition projects have an online preliminary competition. Several domestic and foreign experts will be invited to each of the five major competition tracks as judges to evaluate the competition projects and select the global top 100 projects. Algorithm teams that are shortlisted in BPAA TOP100 will have the chance of being listed in "Shanghai's Global Suppliers for Algorithm Services", and included in the list of the enterprise-level "Applied Algorithm Virtual Laboratory".

The global top 100 projects will participate in the road show competition. After comprehensive review by the judges of each track, the top 10 projects of each track will be promoted to the global top 50 and enter the track finals; The track finals will provide pre-competition roadshow coaching for all competition projects and award one gold medal and two silver medals for each track; The BPAA finals and the fifth WAIC will be held in the same period, and one BPAA grand prize will be finally decided.

In terms of evaluation criteria, compared with last year, the second BPAA will focus more on the effectiveness, innovation and application of algorithms. The judging panel will be composed of scholars and experts from the academic and industrial circles in the public, financial, medical, industrial and commercial fields.

Gather All the Algorithm Industry Resources for the Event

Zhong Junhao, the Secretary General of the Shanghai AI Industry Association, the only organization, service, support and management unit of the WAIC competition award section, called on algorithm teams from all over the world to actively sign up for the second BPAA in the mobilization video. As the only non-profit social organization representing the nature of Artificial intelligence industry in Shanghai established under the business guidance and management supervision of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization and Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, the Association will make good use of the strength of industrial ecological innovation platform to actively serve the teams participating in the competition, so as to better play a bridge role.

As emphasized by Tu Weiwei, Vice President of 4Paradigm, algorithms are the core of artificial intelligence and also the key to the breakthrough and development of artificial intelligence in the future. The iteration and innovation of algorithm technology requires a more open and inclusive platform, and more algorithm teams that apply technology to real scenarios.

There is a long way to go in the industrialization of algorithms. In the mobilization video, Song Haitao, Executive Director of Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute and Vice President of Artificial Intelligence Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said, "Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute has explored the experience of algorithm industry transformation, formed a complete chain of talent training and innovation strategy sources from 0 to 1, industry transformation from 1 to 10, and achievement transformation from 10 to 100, realized the interlocking from algorithm innovation to industry implementation, and explored the organic system of theory-application-industry-university ecosystem."

The second BPAA also received exclusive commercial sponsorship from Weihua Group and strong support from Future Cloud. Li Bin, Chairman of Future Cloud, said, "AI algorithms are also playing a pivotal role in Weihua Group's heavy material handling field." Weihua Group is the world's leading supplier of total solutions for heavy material handling. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Beijing Future Cloud Technology Co., Ltd., is committed to the development of software and hardware systems for unmanned overhead crane, providing complete intelligent handling solutions for steel, logistics, building materials, aerospace, military industry, intelligent manufacturing and other industries, and helping the digital transformation and upgrading of the global manufacturing industry.

Finally, Dr. Yuan Yue, head of the BPAA organizer and Chairman of Dataway, paid his highest respect for all government agencies, enterprise units, industry organizations and participants that paid attention to and participated in BPAA in the mobilization video. Because BPAA is not only an algorithm competition for excellence awards, but also a mobilization for algorithm industrialization, a call for algorithm talents, an appeal for algorithm resources and algorithm-related policies, and an action to jointly promote, gather resources and seek breakthroughs in algorithm industrialization based on the consensus of all parties on the value of algorithms.

The First Screening on Best Practices of Applied Algorithms (BPAA) held in 2021 has made remarkable achievements in "promoting the industrialization of algorithms". During more than 3 months of competition, a total of 228 algorithm projects from more than 10 countries and regions around the world were called to participate, with foreign projects accounting for more than 25% of the total, mainly from Israel, Germany, Italy and France. The competition linked more than 50 academicians and experts from academic and industrial circles at home and abroad, and gained the attention of nearly 5 million people. During the fourth WAIC, a number of Best Practices of Applied Algorithms and super talent teams including the BPAA grand prize were presented to the outside world for the first time, and other projects won WAIC's highest honor - "2021 SAIL Star" and "2021 SAIL Top 30 List" of the Super AI Leader (SAIL Award).

It is expected that each BPAA will become an annual landmark event to promote the industrialization of algorithms in China. The "14th Five-Year Plan for Development of Digital Economy" proposes that China's digital economy development level will be at the forefront of the world by 2035. In order to achieve this bright prospect and break through technical bottleneck in the field of artificial intelligence in China, it is time to make algorithms, algorithms teams and algorithmic ecological cluster become the leading parts of digitization!

Let's recruit new algorithm stars and draw a bright digital intelligent starry sky together!