China

China-ASEAN Forestry Artificial Intelligence Innovation Application Competition concludes in Guigang, S China's Guangxi

The China-ASEAN Forestry Artificial Intelligence Innovation Application Competition drew to a close in Guigang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Sept. 7, putting the spotlight on AI's growing role in forestry and the fresh possibilities it is opening for China-ASEAN cooperation.

Photo shows the finals of the China-ASEAN Forestry Artificial Intelligence Innovation Application Competition, held in Guigang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 7, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Qin Xin)

The competition was held under the theme "Intelligence empowers forestry, digital innovation builds a better future — AI drives upgrading across the entire forestry industrial chain." It is the first specialized AI competition in China to focus on China-ASEAN cooperation and cover the full forestry value chain.

The event drew 605 teams and 2,069 contestants from 27 provincial-level regions across China, as well as from ASEAN member countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The competition featured a general track as well as a specialized track, targeting six key technological bottlenecks— including intelligent quality inspection, low-carbon drying, and intelligent nesting— and covering scenarios ranging from primary and secondary industries to ecological services and cross-border cooperation.

A total of 33 teams advanced to the final round, including 32 teams from China and one team selected from the ASEAN division.

The teams all developed a range of innovative, technologically sophisticated, and practical solutions in such areas as intelligent forest management and conservation, intelligent processing of forest products, intelligent ecological monitoring, as well as the digital transformation needs of ASEAN's forestry sector.

The finals and awards ceremony were both held in Guigang on Sept. 7, when a judging panel comprising forestry industry experts, AI scholars, industry professionals, and ASEAN experts evaluated the projects from multiple perspectives.

The four sub-tracks under the general track selected four first-prize winners, eight second-prize winners, 12 third-prize winners, and nine merit award winners.

Photo shows the awards ceremony of the China-ASEAN Forestry Artificial Intelligence Innovation Application Competition, held in Guigang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 7, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Qin Xin)

At the awards ceremony, six challenges put forward by companies were unveiled, calling on participating teams to tackle key bottlenecks in the development of the forestry industry. The companies offered funding for teams that took on the challenges. Winners will be selected through evaluation and turn their ideas into real-world results.

Guigang, a major forestry industry hub in Guangxi, provided a real-world setting for testing and applying AI technologies in the industry. The city has more than 8.29 million mu (about 552,666.67 hectares) of forest land and more than 4,200 wood-processing enterprises, accounting for over 30 percent of Guangxi's total. Its output of wood-based panels also accounts for more than 30 percent of the region's total production.

In recent years, the city has steered its traditional wood-processing industry toward digital and green transformation.

Zhao Chunjiang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the competition bridged technological innovation, industrial needs and international cooperation, creating a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and offering a testing ground for AI applications in forestry.

Pan Zhandong, acting mayor of Guigang, said the city would use the competition as an opportunity to build platforms, encourage the creative application of its solutions through practical measures, and deepen regional cooperation through greater coordination.

Huang Zhengkang, deputy head of Guangxi's forestry bureau, said the region would give full play to the solutions developed at the competition and improve mechanisms for their further application and commercialization.