Sun Yang from Shenqi Digital: Enterprise process optimization is the key to the implementation of AI in industrial scenarios | Exclusive interview by 36Kr

Author | Song Wanxin

Editor | Zheng Huaizhou

After large - model training has almost exhausted all IT data, mining OT data is becoming an important direction for AI implementation.

While concepts such as autonomous driving and robots are booming, Shenqi Digital, a data - intelligence group under Shenzhou Holdings, focuses on the intelligent transformation of enterprise processes. Recently, Shenqi Digital officially launched the new - generation intelligent software platform "Yanyun Infinity" at Peking University and announced the co - establishment of the "Yanyun Infinity Intelligent Software Joint Laboratory" with Peking University.

It is reported that Yanyun Infinity is an AI + data - intelligent decision - making service platform for enterprises. It uses data, knowledge, and AI to build enterprise AI Agents, helping enterprises make the most correct decisions in the shortest time, that is, optimizing enterprise processes.

This process is defined by Digital China as "AI for Process".

In the view of Guo Wei, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Digital China Holdings Co., Ltd., AI for Process is an important and core AI application field. Promoting the implementation of process - centered AI applications, deeply integrating enterprise data assets with business needs, and continuously optimizing and innovating processes will become an important path for enterprise digital transformation.

"From placing an order to completing delivery, an enterprise needs to go through a large number of data - based decision - making processes. There is much room for improvement in the efficiency and accuracy of traditional decision - making processes," said Zhang Wei, the General Manager of the Technology R & D Center of Shenqi Digital.

According to institutional statistics, the total industrial added value in China in 2023 was about 40 trillion yuan, while the deployment of current multi - modal large models in applications only accounted for 8%, indicating huge room for growth in the future.

However, different from consumer - end applications, the industrial field has higher requirements for the accuracy of calculation results. High - quality, large - scale, and precisely labeled data resources are scarce and are also the key to the training and optimization of industrial large models.

In this regard, Shenqi Digital's "big - data gene" gives it an edge in the starting line of large - model B - end applications to a certain extent. Shenqi Digital originated from a company resulting from the industry - university - research cooperation project between Digital China Holdings and Peking University, and an important achievement of it is "Yanyun DaaS".

Sun Yang, the President of Shenqi Digital, pointed out that this technology is a core technology in the field of big - data infrastructure. Only by realizing the collection and aggregation of data can data governance and application be further achieved.

In the secondary market, from the beginning of the year to date, the stock price of Digital China once doubled to a high of 60 yuan. As of March 11, the latest stock price has fallen back to around 47 yuan.

Recently, Sun Yang, the President of Shenqi Digital, and Zhang Wei, the General Manager of the Technology R & D Center of Shenqi Digital, had a conversation with the media, including 36Kr. The following is a condensed version of the conversation:

1. Can you give examples based on specific scenarios in specific industries to show how Yanyun Infinity specifically optimizes enterprise processes?

Zhang Wei: From placing an order to completing delivery, an enterprise needs to go through a large number of data - based decision - making processes. There is much room for improvement in the efficiency and accuracy of traditional decision - making processes.

Taking the steel industry as an example, a certain enterprise had the problem of low efficiency in raw material scheduling in the supply - chain process. By collecting real - time data on blast - furnace gas emissions and combining it with production order information, a dynamic optimization model was built. This measure had a significant cost - reduction effect. A total of about 92 million yuan in energy - consumption costs was saved annually for 15 blast furnaces.

2. Many enterprises are now deploying and connecting to Deepseek. Is there a substitution relationship between Deepseek and Yanyun?

Zhang Wei: I think Deepseek brings basic model capabilities. Deepseek is a stronger complement to Infinity. It enables enterprises to support its applications with lower computing power requirements and also brings stronger basic capabilities.

3. How does Shenqi Digital define its strategic positioning in the field of data intelligence?

Sun Yang: Shenqi Digital is committed to becoming a leading one - stop, end - to - end data - intelligent solution provider, focusing on promoting the digital transformation and intelligent application of the real - economy industries through full - stack technical capabilities.

One - stop means that we can provide comprehensive services covering consulting, planning, product and solution delivery, operation, and maintenance; end - to - end means the entire chain from data infrastructure, data "collection, storage, calculation, management, and application" to data - asset trading and value realization; the so - called data - intelligent solution means that we drive intelligence with data. From the output of high - quality data to the implementation of AI intelligence, we provide a complete set of solutions.

We can use an analogy. We are like a barbershop. For customers with different hairstyle needs, we have a group of excellent "Tony teachers" who use the best tools and the most fashionable designs to provide customers with satisfactory services.

What we provide is neither a single product tool nor an operation platform, but a complete industry solution including various product tools and full - process services. Because intelligence cannot be achieved by simply applying one or two AI tools. It requires a complete set of solutions and supporting services to ensure the implementation of technology.

At the same time, we are a standardized barbershop chain that can replicate our products and services across regions and industries. The ultimate goal is to help enterprises improve quality, reduce costs, and increase efficiency through digital and intelligent means.

4. Why did you choose the direction of data intelligence?

Sun Yang: This strategic choice stems from the deep coupling of technological genes and industrial practices. Shenqi Digital originated from a company resulting from the industry - university - research cooperation project between Digital China Holdings and Peking University, and an important achievement of it is "Yanyun DaaS" (Resource Reflection Mechanism and Efficient Inter - operation Technology for Cloud - End Fusion Systems). This technology won the First Prize of the National Technological Invention Award in 2018, and President Xi Jinping personally presented the award to Academician Mei Hong, the leader of the project. This achievement is of great significance to China's digital strategy.

It is at the world - leading level in breaking data silos and realizing data aggregation of various systems. With this technological achievement, we are more confident in pursuing the path of big data. At the same time, this technology is also a core technology in the field of big - data infrastructure. Only by realizing the collection and aggregation of data can data governance and application be further achieved.

Therefore, starting from this technology, Shenqi Digital continuously expands the technological boundaries, evolving from the data - governance layer to the intelligent - decision - making layer. Today, with the release of "New Yanyun Infinity", we have achieved the full - link connection from data to intelligence, forming a product system covering the entire data lifecycle. At the same time, in the process of promoting the marketization of Yanyun technology, we have accumulated rich industry and market resources, which also lays the foundation for us to promote the application of data intelligence across all industries.

5. What are Shenqi Digital's competitive advantages compared with enterprises in the same field?

Sun Yang: Our competitive advantages are reflected in a "trinity" capability matrix: First, in terms of technological capabilities, we have core technologies at the level of the National Technological Invention Award, participate in formulating more than 20 national standards, and own more than 100 industry - leading technological patents. These technologies have been continuously improved in a large number of market practices and have reached a mature stage. In this regard, we have a first - mover advantage.

Second, in terms of service capabilities, during the development process, Shenqi Digital has formed more than 2,600 integrated service outlets covering more than 1,800 cities across the country, achieving full coverage of fourth - and fifth - tier cities and forming a "last - mile" service barrier, enabling us to provide on - site services to customers at any time.

Finally, in terms of ecological capabilities, we have unique advantages: First, the ecological resources of the three listed companies of the Digital China enterprise group are extremely rich, providing strong ecological support for Shenqi Digital in software and hardware integration services; Second, in terms of industry - university - research cooperation, Shenqi Digital conducts cutting - edge technological research with top universities such as Peking University and national - level scientific research institutions through the establishment of joint laboratories, etc., ensuring the company's leading position in the field of technological R & D; Third, the "Hundred - Flag Ecological Alliance" that the company is establishing covers partner resources across various industries and regions, forming complementary advantages and win - win cooperation.

This three - dimensional capability enables us to quickly connect the underlying data when facing complex projects and also provide scenario - based solutions through ecological collaboration. There are not many enterprises in this industry that have the same resource endowments as Shenqi.

6. Talking about industry - university - research cooperation, what are Shenqi Digital's future plans in this area?

Sun Yang: Industry - university - research cooperation is in Shenqi Digital's natural genes because it is the result of such cooperation. Therefore, we always regard it as an important direction.

In the process of cooperating with universities and scientific research institutions, we not only rapidly improve our technological capabilities but also gain more market resources in promoting the marketization of technological achievements. Industry - university - research cooperation provides technical support for us to break through technological bottlenecks. The R & D results can be quickly verified in the market, and the feedback obtained can be optimized and improved in scientific research institutions, forming a complete closed - loop.

Now, based on the "Peking University model", we are also promoting industry - university - research cooperation with Pengcheng Laboratory, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Harbin Institute of Technology, etc. However, it is not a simple replication but also involves iterative innovation.

7. Which industries will Shenqi Digital focus on in the future?

Sun Yang: In terms of Shenqi Digital's own technological attributes, it is not specifically focused on a certain industry because every industry has the need for data governance and intelligence. We can say that we are facing "all industries".

During the development process, based on the advantageous resources of Shenzhou Holdings, we have established a good foundation in industries such as the supply chain, finance, water conservancy, transportation, hotels, and chain service industries. For example, our services cover 80% of the high - end hotel market in China. Therefore, we will first enter these advantageous industries.

At the same time, relying on our ecological capabilities, we are also expanding into more industries. Just like Shenzhou Holdings' own supply - chain business, it has accumulated rich customer resources in many industries such as IT and electronics, fast - moving consumer goods, beauty, clothing, and automobiles, and many of them are industry - leading customers. We can quickly reach these customers.

In addition, our ecological partners also provide good support in industrial manufacturing, electric power and energy, etc., which are also our key areas for deployment.

8. Does Shenqi Digital have any overseas business layout?

Sun Yang: Shenqi Digital's overseas expansion is first "accompanied". Many of our customers have overseas expansion needs and hope that Shenqi can help them replicate their digital capabilities overseas and achieve interconnection between domestic and overseas systems and data.

While serving customers' overseas expansion, we are also establishing our own service network and ecological resource pool overseas to serve the digital transformation of local enterprises. On this basis, we will also have "reverse overseas expansion", that is, serving the development and layout of overseas enterprises in China. We can quickly promote our market through Shenqi's more than 2,600 outlets and branches across China. In terms of competitive advantages, Shenqi Digital has been deeply involved in the Hong Kong and Macau markets in China for many years. Universities and financial institutions in Hong Kong are our traditional and advantageous customers.

As a listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Shenzhou Holdings has been in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. Shenqi has a local delivery team in Hong Kong, which can provide comprehensive support in terms of language, laws and regulations, and technical standards, helping us expand to Southeast Asia and other regions with Hong Kong and Macau as the base. All these give us natural competitive advantages.

9. What are Shenqi Digital's strategic priorities in the next 3 - 5 years?

Sun Yang: First, strengthen product and technology R & D. We launched the "New Yanyun Infinity" platform today. On this basis, we will continuously improve the product and promote the in - depth implementation of AI technology in vertical scenarios. At the same time, we will strengthen the reserve of composite talents including R & D personnel related to data intelligence and experts in vertical industries to continuously improve our technological innovation and R & D capabilities.
 

Second, strengthen the construction of the sales and service system. We will comprehensively improve the consulting service capabilities and technical operation and maintenance capabilities of service outlets to provide customers with more timely and comprehensive services in terms of data and AI. Currently, the demand for intelligence, including the deployment of large models, in fourth - and fifth - tier cities is very strong. We will enable customers in fourth - and fifth - tier cities to have the same product and service experience as those in first - tier cities through our standardization capabilities.

Third, strengthen the construction of ecological capabilities. Guided by the principles of "altruism, openness, and win - win", we will continuously deepen cooperation with various partners in the ecosystem and empower each other. In terms of industry - university - research cooperation, we will strengthen cooperation with universities and scientific research institutions. By integrating the industry expertise and AI application capabilities of ecological partners, we will jointly explore industry - value scenarios and empower the digital and intelligent transformation of more industries.

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