On October 30, at the 31st Midea Group Science and Technology Month Conference and Award Ceremony, Fang Hongbo, Chairman and President of Midea Group, stated that without investment in and accumulation of science and technology, Midea would not have what it has today; Midea must attach more importance to science and technology than ever before, continue to increase investment in basic research and original innovation, and upgrade from homogeneous competition to original innovation competition.

Fang Hongbo also proposed to strengthen the construction of a "three-generation" R&D system and optimize the innovation mechanism and R&D environment; and to have a vision and ideal—to become a global enterprise with industrial synergy and technological content.

This year's Science and Technology Month focused on technological innovation and market value, and through award-driven guidance and innovation recognition, concentrated on presenting Midea's latest achievements in technology R&D, product innovation and digital-intelligent transformation.

In terms of individual awards, 12 Science and Technology Stars were selected, covering the three major fields of technology R&D, product architecture, and digital-intelligent innovation; there were 6 project awards, covering the four major categories of technological breakthroughs, product innovation, design innovation, and digital-intelligent applications.

Digital-intelligent application: The washing machine native agent factory pioneered AI-native forward design, reconstructed the physical layout, business processes and management model, and achieved four "firsts" in native agents, products off the line being high-quality products, unmanned logistics, and industrial tourism, with quality improved by 52% and efficiency increased by 42%.

Design innovation: The Midea BiBloc mobile split air conditioner is Europe's only mobile split air conditioner that does not require wall breaking; it reshapes its appearance with home textiles, combines a lightweight outdoor unit with a double-layer air guide design, has won multiple international design awards, and helps the Midea brand gain attention in the European market.

At the 4th "Visionaries Conference", Xu Jun, Dean of Midea Group Central Research Institute, stated that computing power is becoming the infrastructure of the new era and an indispensable capability in the AI era; from large model training to intelligent manufacturing, from scientific research to industrial transformation, it has penetrated every innovation scenario; and "cross-boundary" is the key path to addressing complex challenges—only by breaking disciplinary boundaries, industrial boundaries, and thinking boundaries can one truly see far and go far.

Qian Xuhong, former president of East China Normal University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated that today's artificial intelligence is "artificial intelligence + hardware of the classical world," because existing hardware is not designed for artificial intelligence, and the AI era should have its own unique hardware.

Source: The Beijing News