On September 22, the final round of the 4th Pazhou Algorithm Competition was held in Guangzhou.
This year's competition drew top algorithm teams from more than 30 countries, including China, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan, France, and Germany. A total of 8,131 teams registered, setting a new record in both scale and influence.
Record global participation
The first three editions of the Pazhou Algorithm Competition have been a great success, covering over 40 countries across five continents, attracting more than ten thousand teams, with 60% of participants holding a master's degree or above.
This year, leading companies from various sectors, including internet services, finance, manufacturing, energy, consumer goods, and technology, took part. Notable participants included ByteDance, BYD, Ecovacs, JAC Motors, and 37 Interactive Entertainment.
The competition featured five major tracks with 19 questions, focusing on cutting-edge fields such as AI large models, intelligent transportation, and smart manufacturing. The large model algorithm optimization track alone accounted for nearly 60% of the events, becoming the highlight of this year's competition.
Farshid Ahsan, a software engineer at Markopolo AI and a core member of one of the competing teams, advanced to the finals from the international division with an AI + marketing project. "The Pazhou Algorithm Competition provides an ideal platform to showcase AI innovations in the Chinese market, which aligns perfectly with our expansion strategy," said Ahsan. "Through this competition, we hope to gain recognition from technical experts and industry judges, validate the advanced nature of our solutions, and exchange ideas with outstanding teams within China's AI ecosystem."
According to the organizers, winning teams will not only have the chance to receive millions of yuan in prize money but also gain access to specialized incubation resources worth tens of millions of yuan. These include computing power vouchers, technical collaboration opportunities with leading enterprises, talent awards, policy support, and financing assistance. These tangible resources help fast-track the commercialization of technological achievements, effectively moving algorithms from the lab to the production line.
Driving AI innovation from lab to market
The competition has not only brought together top university and corporate teams but also promoted talent aggregation and industry advancement. It has effectively facilitated the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial application while accelerating the transformation of research outcomes into practical solutions.
A distinctive feature of Guangzhou's AI industry is its rapid implementation of real-world applications. The city has produced pioneering innovations such as the world's first large model for the transportation industry and China's first teaching-research large model.
Guangzhou is also building a superior AI industrial ecosystem, with over 30 specialized AI parks along its vibrant innovation corridor, nearly 70 strategic emerging industry funds, and more than 30,000 strategic scientists and 50,000 industry professionals. This has formed a full-cycle service ecosystem covering R&D, incubation, acceleration, and industrialization.
Seizing the opportunity presented by intelligent technology, the algorithm competition is expected to further promote the commercialization of advanced technical solutions, not only providing a global stage for algorithm talent but also fostering organic integration between top practitioners and Guangzhou's AI industrial ecosystem.
Reporter | Guo Chuhua
Photo | Liang Zijian
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
