On the afternoon of June 5, 2026, the preliminary round of the 2026 China "AI+" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge took place at the Tsinghua Happiness Science and Technology Laboratory (H+Lab) in Beijing. Organized by the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence (CAAI) and co-organized by Changzhou Data Group Co., Ltd., the CAAI Intelligent Products and Industry Working Committee, and the Zhongguancun Science City Science and Technology Service Industry Promotion Association, the competition is themed "Wisdom Gathers in Longcheng, AI in Changzhou." Focusing on three core tracks - AI+ Intelligent Manufacturing, AI+ Healthcare, and AI+ New Energy - the event aims to build a high-level platform for competition and exchange integrating project recruitment, capital matching, and industrial incubation.

Preliminary round evaluation experts were divided into groups according to the three tracks and conducted rigorous and detailed scoring of submitted project materials in respective sub-venues. Ultimately, 20 projects from each track (60 projects total) advanced to the semifinals, with the finals scheduled for July in Changzhou.

At the opening ceremony of the preliminary round, Professor Ma Shaoping, Deputy Supervisor of the CAAI and a professor at Tsinghua University, delivered a speech on behalf of the organizer and, acting as the competition's supervisor, set forth requirements for the evaluation process.

Professor Ma Shaoping noted that China is currently deepening the implementation of the "AI+" initiative, making every effort to cultivate new productive forces. The deep integration of AI with the real economy has become a defining trend of the times. The CAAI consistently regards serving national strategies as its core mission, committed to opening up the complete chain from original research to industrial application. This competition represents an important practical platform for the CAAI to promote the deep integration of AI with the real economy. He expressed hope that the competition would discover and nurture a number of highly innovative and high-growth-potential quality projects, allowing the seeds of technology to take root and flourish in Changzhou's fertile industrial soil. He also emphasized that the evaluation process must adhere to the principles of "fairness, justice, and openness," strictly maintain confidentiality obligations, and ensure responsibility to every participant.

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