November 19–20

2024 Annual Meeting of the Central South University Alumni Entrepreneurs Association

Conference on the Deep Integration of Technological Innovation and Industrial Innovation

Held in Changsha

Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering—Gui Weihua, Jiang Tao, Wu Aixiang, and Zhao Zhongwei—attended the conference, along with Huang Hanquan, Director of the Macroeconomic Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission; Wang Weian, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of Hunan Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology; and university leaders Li Jiancheng, Chen Xiang, Chai Liyuan, Guo Xueyi, Li Jingsheng, Fu Ganghua, He Jun, and He Xuhui. Also present were representatives from relevant departments such as the Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce, the Department of Education, and the Changsha Municipal Government, as well as nearly 400 alumni entrepreneurs. The conference was co-hosted by Executive Vice Presidents Chen Xiang and Chai Liyuan.

Alumni Entrepreneurs Association of Central South University

CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY

The Central South University Alumni Entrepreneurs Association was established on October 31, 2023, as a second-level branch under the Central South University Alumni Association. It aims to bring together alumni entrepreneurs, serving their businesses, supporting their alma mater, and contributing to society. Currently, the association has assembled 129 distinguished council members, representing 129 listed companies and specialized, sophisticated, and innovative "Little Giant" enterprises. These members span across multiple industries, including new energy and advanced materials, intelligent manufacturing and digitalization, biopharmaceuticals and healthcare, as well as resources and environmental sustainability.

On October 31, 2023, the Central South University Alumni Entrepreneurs Association was established.

Over the past year, the Central South University Alumni Enterprise Association has continuously revitalized alumni-driven economic momentum by establishing platforms for communication, expanding collaborative partnerships, fostering resource sharing, and ensuring the successful implementation of key projects—thereby actively promoting win-win cooperation among the university, enterprises, and local communities. With the association’s active involvement and support, the university has attracted 80 high-level talents and received alumni donations totaling over 120 million yuan. Additionally, the university has collaborated with businesses to commercialize 1,262 scientific and technological achievements, generating contracts worth more than 1.9 billion yuan. Through the "Alumni Return to Hunan" initiative, the association has helped bring in 15 investment projects back to Hunan Province and facilitated the establishment of 27 new companies registered in Hunan, securing investment agreements worth approximately 24.6 billion yuan.

2024 Annual Conference Opens

Principal Li Jiancheng pointed out in his speech that alumni are the school's most valuable asset, its strongest driving force, and its brightest ambassador. The Alumni Entrepreneurs Association has made significant contributions to supporting the university's "Double First-Class" initiative and fostering high-quality development in Hunan Province and Changsha. At this conference, while reviewing and summarizing the association's past work, participants leveraged the university's strengths—such as its concentration of innovative resources, deep industry connections, and abundant educational assets—to focus on deepening the integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation. Together, they will unleash powerful momentum to drive local economic and social progress.

Peng Huasong, Member of the Standing Committee of the Changsha Municipal Party Committee and Executive Deputy Mayor The event extended an invitation, welcoming entrepreneurs and alumni from Central South University to deploy more projects in Changsha, retain more talent in the city, and facilitate greater technology transfer and commercialization right here—in Changsha—so that everyone can jointly enjoy the benefits of the city's thriving development.

At the meeting, Wei Huacheng, Executive Chairman and Secretary-General of the Central South University Alumni Entrepreneurs Association Prepare the one-year development report for the Central South University Alumni Entrepreneurs Association.

Alumnus of the Class of 1980 from Central South University and Chairman of Beijing Dadi Yuantong (Group) Co., Ltd. Zhao Lianjie , an alumnus of Class '81 and Chairman of Greenmei Co., Ltd. Xu Kaihua , an alumnus of Class 82 and Chairman of Sanno Biosensor Co., Ltd. Li Shaobo Speaking as a representative of alumni entrepreneurs from Central South University. Representatives from alumni-owned enterprises of sister universities such as Wuhan University and Tsinghua University, among others. Ruan Liping, Du Zhipeng Deliver a keynote speech. Director of the Institute for Macroeconomic Research, National Development and Reform Commission Huang Hanquan Deliver a keynote report titled "Trends in China's Manufacturing Sector and the Direction of Economic Policies."

Zhao Lianjie

Xu Kaihua

Li Shaobo

Ruan Liping

Du Zhipeng

Huang Hanquan

Building a School-Enterprise Joint Laboratory

To deepen university-enterprise collaboration, Central South University launched the establishment of 14 joint university-enterprise laboratories at this conference. Among them, 9 are director units of the Central South University Alumni Entrepreneurs Association, and 12 major industry-university-research cooperation projects have been launched.

"The University-Enterprise Joint Laboratory" is a vibrant example of collaborative research projects between Central South University and industry partners. Central South University will fully leverage its academic strengths and talent advantages by actively establishing a domestically leading, internationally first-class joint laboratory that features distinctive characteristics, advanced equipment, and scientific management. This initiative aims to foster complementary advantages and shared resources among universities, local regions, and enterprises, while deepening industry-academia-research cooperation in key areas. It is reported that the total investment in the university-enterprise joint laboratories and the contract value of major projects unveiled at this conference amount to nearly 3 billion yuan.

Establishing the Central-South·Sany Technology City

Global AI-Driven Industry Innovation and Technology Base

At the meeting, by Central South University, Changsha Economic Development Zone, Sany Group Jointly created "Central-South·Sany Technology City Global AI-Driven Industry Innovation Base for Digital-Physical Integration" Officially launched. Li Jiancheng, Peng Huasong, Fu Xuming, Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Changsha Economic Development Zone and Secretary of Changsha County Party Committee, along with Tang Xiuguo, Rotating Chairman and President of Sany Group, jointly witnessed the signing of a letter of intent for cooperation by representatives from all three parties.

The Science and Technology City boasts 2.48 million square meters of integrated industrial and urban space, with a total investment of 23.5 billion yuan. It is primarily focused on building cutting-edge infrastructure for the AI era, providing industry spaces, computing power facilities, and energy hubs essential for AI development.

In the future, 13 major innovation centers—including those focusing on cutting-edge industrial intelligence at Central South University, Earth's spatiotemporal reference systems, fundamental AI research, intelligent construction, advanced materials, new energy, future transportation, biomedicine, environmental protection technologies, deep-earth dynamics, quantum science, strategic resources, and smart urban governance—along with more than 10 nationally recognized university-industry joint laboratories, will be established in the Science and Technology City.

Industry Exchange Closed-Door Meeting & Industry Chain Supply-Demand Matching Conference

To promote the alignment and transformation of supply and demand, the conference featured an exclusive industry exchange meeting and a supply-chain matchmaking event—both led by academicians from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and attended by leading enterprises in various sectors as well as industry elites. Eleven cooperation agreements were signed, totaling approximately 86 million, with donated value exceeding 3 million yuan. Additionally, Sany Group Co., Ltd. and Greenmei Co., Ltd. leveraged the conference platform to jointly unveil technology challenge lists worth RMB 84.8 million and RMB 60 million, respectively, encouraging faculty, students, and alumni-led enterprises to step forward and take on these challenges.

"Central-South Power, Carrying Forward the Glory" Special Event

That evening, the special event titled "Central-South Strength, Carrying Forward the Glory" was held. Wu Guiying, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, attended and delivered a speech. She pointed out that Central South University is a renowned institution with deep historical roots, a cradle nurturing talented individuals from across the nation, and a dynamic engine driving robust development. Currently, Changsha is firmly committed to its visionary blueprint of "Three Highs and Four New Initiatives," working wholeheartedly to build itself into a global hub for research and development centers. The city is actively fostering new growth drivers, seizing emerging opportunities, and pursuing high-quality development with promising momentum. Changsha sincerely looks forward to collaborating with its vast network of Central South University alumni, jointly advancing technological innovation, co-building a modernized industrial ecosystem, and strengthening open cooperation. To this end, Changsha pledges to deliver even more reliable, convenient, and heartwarming services, ensuring a seamless partnership as we move forward together in mutual support and shared progress.

During her speech, Yihong Yi, Secretary of the University Party Committee, stated that Central South University was founded, developed, and grew in Changsha, and it is our undeniable responsibility to proactively integrate with and serve Changsha's high-quality development and modernization efforts. The establishment of the Central South University Alumni Entrepreneurs Association has further fostered the seamless integration and mutual reinforcement between alumni development and Changsha's urban growth, creating a harmonious synergy. Moving forward, we aim to continuously refine our multi-dimensional collaboration network and outreach mechanisms, encouraging alumni to bring back their capital, resources, projects, and achievements to Hunan—and specifically to Changsha—so they can contribute even more robustly to the construction of the province's "three highlands," leveraging the strength of Central South University in the process.

Visit and Study

During the conference, alumni entrepreneurs from Central South University visited Sany Group’s No. 18 Lighthouse Factory and the Sany Intelligent Connected Heavy Truck Industrial Park. They also toured enterprises such as Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., and attended the Zhuzhou Elite Alumni Cooperation and Exchange Promotion Event. Cao Huiquan, Secretary of the Zhuzhou Municipal Party Committee, along with Huang Jianling, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee, and other officials, were present at the event.

This conference, by establishing a precise platform for matching university and enterprise supply with demand, New energy and new materials, intelligent manufacturing and digitalization, biopharmaceuticals and greater healthcare, advanced transportation and smart construction, as well as resources and the environment, and more. Key areas include deepening the integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, strengthening collaboration between universities, enterprises, and alumni-run businesses, and fostering an efficient, collaborative ecosystem that drives mutual benefits and shared success in talent development and innovation. This will empower upstream and downstream alumni enterprises to jointly pursue high-quality growth, injecting strong momentum into Changsha's development as a global R&D hub and accelerating Hunan's modernization process.