Alibaba Launches Global Tech Research Program
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. will launch a global research program to increase technological collaboration worldwide, advance the development of cutting-edge technology and "strive to make the world more inclusive by narrowing the technology gap," the company announced this week.
The Alibaba DAMO Academy, which stands for the “Academy for Discovery, Adventure, Momentum and Outlook,” will oversee the opening of research and development labs worldwide and recruit talented scientists and researchers to join the program. Alibaba Group’s chief technology officer, Jeff Zhang will head the academy. Alibaba expects to invest more than $15 billion in research and development over the next three years.
In the beginning, the Academy will focus opening seven research labs in China (Beijing and Hangzhou), the U.S. (San Mateo and Bellevue), Russia (Moscow), Israel (Tel Aviv) and Thailand (Singapore). The labs will focus on both foundational and disruptive technology research including data intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), financial tech, quantum computing and human-machine interaction.
Within those broad research areas, the labs will focus on topics such as machine learning, network security, visual computing, natural language processing, and other topics. The Academy is currently looking to recruit 100 talented researchers from around the world.
The labs will also collaborate with luminaries in the technology space and top educational institutions to explore technology breakthroughs aimed at improving the lives of end-users and boost the efficiency and security of enterprises globally. For example, the Academy will cooperate with the University of California, Berkeley through its RISE Lab on areas such as secured real-time computing.
“The Alibaba DAMO Academy will be at the forefront of developing next-generation technology that will spur the growth of Alibaba and our partners,” said Zhang. “Over the past 18 years, we have developed a robust technology infrastructure that supports the rapid growth of our business. With our global expansion, we have grown and refined our technology manifold. We are now looking for talented and driven researchers to join us in the quest for new disruptive technologies that would advance our everyday lives, benefit small businesses and narrow the technology gap to make our world a more inclusive place.”
The Academy is the first major global initiative to focus on developing the global technological capabilities and infrastructure that will enable Alibaba to fulfill its commitment to serve two billion customers and create 100 million job opportunities in 20 years. Alibaba currently employs around 25,000 engineers and scientists.
The Academy will set up an advisory board of globally renowned educators and researchers who will provide guidance and advice on the research direction and key research areas of the labs. The Academy advisory board members are:
- Avi Wigderson, Professor of Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
- George Church, Professor of Harvard University and Professor of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Henry M. Levy, Professor and Director of the School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington
- Hong MEI, Professor and Vice President of Beijing Institute of Technology
- Jeannette Wing, Director of the Data Science Institute, Professor of Computer Science, Columbia University
- Kai LI, Professor of Princeton University
- Michael I. Jordan, Professor of University of California, Berkeley
- Ru HUANG, Professor and Dean of School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University
- Wen GAO, Professor and Dean of Faculty of Information and Engineering Sciences, Peking University
- Zhaohui WU, President, Zhejiang University