CCF‑Ant Group Green Computing Research Fund 2022: Selected Projects and Academic Exchange

Recently, the results of the 2022 CCF‑Ant Green Computing Special Research Fund were announced at the 2022 CCF Industry‑Academia Cooperation Development Forum, with 27 projects from 19 universities selected to support scientists in exploring more efficient and green AI and data‑computing algorithms and applications.

The CCF Industry‑Academia Cooperation Development Forum, based on the CCF Industry‑Academia Cooperation Fund, aims to foster trust between industry and academia and promote the translation of research results into practical applications. "Green computing" has attracted widespread attention for its potential to alleviate the computing‑power pressure of digital transformation and achieve breakthroughs in foundational software technologies.

In September 2022, Ant Group jointly launched with CCF China's first "green computing" themed special research fund, planning to invest nearly 10 million RMB within a year to support outstanding scholars worldwide in frontier green‑computing research for real‑industry scenarios. The fund covers multiple directions such as green machine learning, green applications, and green engineering systems/clusters, totaling 32 research topics. Ultimately, the fund received proposals from 134 scholars at 63 universities, and 27 projects from 19 universities (including Tsinghua, Zhejiang, Wuhan, and Shanghai Jiao‑Tong) were selected.

To further promote green‑computing technology development and strengthen industry communication, Ant Group hosted a CCF‑Ant Green Computing Fund academic exchange meeting after the forum. Scholars from 13 universities (including Tsinghua, Zhejiang, and Renmin University) attended, focusing on trends in green‑computing technology and Ant's planning and vision. Wang Zhirong, Chair of Ant Group’s Data Intelligence Committee, emphasized that embracing green computing is a social responsibility for internet platforms and an opportunity to advance foundational technologies.

Computing power is the new productive force of the digital era. Over the past five years, China's computing‑power capacity has grown at an average annual rate of nearly 30%, ranking second worldwide in total scale, yet its utilization efficiency remains low, leading to significant waste and limited foundational technical capability. In recent years, many domestic tech companies and university researchers have begun exploring green‑computing technologies to improve efficiency through hardware and software optimization. As one of the first domestic enterprises to develop and practice green‑computing technologies, Ant Group pursues efficiency‑driven emission reduction, adopts a green development path, and, through industry‑academia‑research collaboration, leverages technology to empower computing power and support the national "dual‑carbon" strategic goals.