Visitors listen to a tour guide during a visit to the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone on Friday. About 20 international tech elites joined the tour to experience Hetao's services and engage with cutting-edge high-tech innovations.
Dutch entrepreneur Henk Werner shares his idea about tech innovations during a sharing session at the Hetao "E-station" Comprehensive Service Center.
The visitors prepare to take a tour of the park in self-driving cars.
Camila Andrea Algecira Melo, from Croatia, tries an AI skin-analyzing machine.
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Nearly 20 international tech elites gathered at the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone to attend the "Experience Hetao's Tech Heartbeat — Expat Talent Hetao Tour" event Friday. Through the event, organized by EyeShenzhen, they learned about Hetao, experienced its services, and interacted with innovative, high-tech products.
"The event was fantastic. The scientific innovation environment shows the value of the city. That's the identity of the city," said Sankhadip Chakraborty, an Indian postdoctoral researcher from the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).
Interacting with high-tech products
The visitors started the tour at the metaverse service hall of a smart park in Hetao, where they experienced a future world through technological effects realized by digital twins and other technologies.
The highlight of the event occurred when they toured the park in self-driving cars that are capable of L4 autonomous driving. The cars are equipped with autonomous driving solutions provided by DeepRoute.ai.
"This was the part that I was most looking forward to," said Anne Imig, who began her postdoctoral research program at SUSTech six months ago. "Usually, you rely on the driver, but in this car, although there was someone seated there, they were not using the steering wheel. It provided me with a completely new experience," Imig added.
Meanwhile, various high-tech products from Hetao companies were on display for this event. Attendees eagerly inspected these products and inquired about their details. These products included two AI robots capable of playing Chinese go and chess with a person at home, a machine that analyzes skin by using a large AI model for skin images, and a doll claw machine powered by air imaging technology that allows users to control the claw without touching a screen or joystick.
"It was very informative for me. Although I am engaging in high-tech research, I didn't know there are so many different companies and institutes here. I think maybe there should be more communication with the universities and institutions in this area because we are cultivating a large number of students who will become engineers or high-tech experts," said Ercan Engin Kuruoglu, a distinguished expert in information engineering who is a full-time professor at the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School.
Sharing insights
A sharing session was organized for the participants at the Hetao "E-station" Comprehensive Service Center. Professor Kuruoglu discussed challenges in AI research, Hong Kong entrepreneur Robin Diao shared his experience of starting his company, and Dutch entrepreneur Henk Werner provided insights into tech innovations in Shenzhen.
Kuruoglu said that Shenzhen is leading the way in AI application and that advanced AI technologies should be applied in fields that will help people live a better life. He acknowledged the potential of Hetao and hoped to communicate with more local researchers and entrepreneurs.
"Listening to the insights shared by the Hong Kong entrepreneur, I felt a strong desire to know him. Given my current involvement with a company specializing in chip and semiconductor technologies, I am eager to know about his experiences in the sci-tech field and understand how he initiated his business in Hetao," Sharma Priyasha from India said.