KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Malaysia must turn its growing digital infrastructure and computing capacity into artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that deliver real-world value across the economy, while ensuring that its AI growth remains responsible and sustainable, said Minister of Communications Dato’ Seri Fahmi Fadzil.

“The distinction we must now make is between having digital infrastructure and being a place where AI is developed, deployed and applied. That means using AI to make our semiconductor and electronics industries more productive, strengthen advanced manufacturing and logistics, improve supply chains, transform healthcare, support agriculture and deliver better public services,” he said in his keynote address at the inaugural WAIC CONNECT Malaysia 2026.

“Our progress should not be measured simply by computing capacity but by the economic value and opportunities that we create from it. This is the ambition behind the Government’s National AI Action Plan 2026-2030, or AI Nation 2030. We are targeting an additional 0.8 to 1.2 percentage points of annual GDP growth, equivalent to roughly RM13 billion to RM20 billion a year. We also aim to create 300,000 to 500,000 new AI-related jobs,” he added.

He hoped the conference would help highlight areas that require greater attention as AI adoption accelerates, including ensuring that growth in AI creates opportunities for young people and supports job growth.

He also highlighted Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd’s (Huawei Malaysia) support for the event and welcomed Huawei’s goal of nurturing 30,000 Malaysian AI talents and developing 200 local AI partners over the next three years through engagements, knowledge transfer, and cloud and AI collaborations.

Looking beyond Malaysia’s AI development, China’s rapid advances in intelligent technologies offer another perspective on how AI is being translated into practical applications at scale.

“In the first half of this year, China exported over 10,000 smart bionic robots to more than 90 countries and regions. China’s intelligent manufacturing is bringing unprecedented convenience and efficiency to a growing number of countries worldwide,” said His Excellency Ouyang Yujing, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Malaysia in his speech.

“As modern Chinese tech firms invest heavily in Malaysia’s AI sector and data centre infrastructure, and as the universities from both countries speed up cooperative innovation in cutting-edge fields like AI and advanced engineering, AI is rapidly emerging as the dynamic new growth engine for China-Malaysia cooperation,” he said.

President of Huawei Asia Pacific Region (Huawei APAC), Terry He said the Asia Pacific has a strategic role in shaping the intelligent future, with the region’s diversity of languages, cultures, industries and development needs presenting an opportunity to develop AI that is better suited to local contexts.

“Malaysia, within APAC, holds a unique position. Geographically, it sits at the crossroads of East and West, connected by world-class submarine cables. In terms of computing power, Johor has become one of the fastest-growing AI data centre hubs in the world. On energy, Malaysia offers competitive and increasingly green power, partnering with major leaders generating their own energy for AI campuses. Malaysia is on track to host around two-thirds of ASEAN’s data centre capacity by 2035. With these advantages, we believe Malaysia is well positioned to be not only an infrastructure leader, but also a regional AI hub, empowering AI development across the region,” he said.

“Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to contribute in three key areas. First, we will strengthen the foundation for intelligence. Together with local partners, we will build secure, resilient, and green digital infrastructure across connectivity, computing, cloud, storage, and green energy. Second, we will accelerate AI adoption across industries by bringing AI into key sectors including telecommunications, public services, finance, healthcare, education, and SMEs to improve productivity and create tangible value for society. Third, we will build an open and trusted innovation ecosystem. We will connect global capabilities with local innovation, support Malaysian partners, developers, and startups, and further advance AI talent, responsible AI, cybersecurity, and secure digital infrastructure—helping take “Made by Malaysia” AI solutions to ASEAN and the world,” he emphasised.

Also present were Kang Kai, Chief Commercial Official of Shanghai DLG WAIC Gravitational Co Ltd; Simon Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Huawei Malaysia); Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, Honorary President of the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce and President of Malaysia-China Friendship Association and Abdul Karim Fakir Ali, Managing Director of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

WAIC Connect Malaysia 2026 is an international extension of China’s flagship AI industry event, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). Held from September 7 to 8 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the event brought together AI companies, enterprises and ecosystem partners from China, Malaysia and other ASEAN markets under the theme “Innovating for a Green and Intelligent Malaysia”.

Participants at the event included representatives from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Huawei APAC, Huawei Malaysia, Chinese AI enterprises along with more than 80 ecosystem partners and 1,000 industry experts from across the Asia-Pacific region.

The two-day conference comprised a main keynote conference, forums, an offsite exchange – WAIC City Walk – and an exhibition featuring more than 40 showcases.

Malaysia is now moving from building the foundations for AI to putting those capabilities into practice across industries, government and society. Against this backdrop, WAIC Connect Malaysia provides a platform for Malaysia, China and the wider ASEAN region to share experience, build partnerships and accelerate the practical adoption and development of AI.

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SOURCE Huawei

SUZHOU, China, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, China has witnessed a surging power demand from the computing industry. In Changshu, Suzhou, the electricity load generated by computing infrastructure has grown remarkably. This summer, power consumption increments from the computing sector have overtaken seasonal air-conditioning loads to become the primary driver of regional electricity consumption growth. Concurrently, China’s ongoing market‑oriented power sector reform is deepening, with a series of policies governing electricity trading, green power and green certificate settlement being rolled out.

The Hongyun Technology (Changshu) Big Data Center, a key provincial digital infrastructure project, is now operating at full capacity, delivering robust computing‑power support for the Yangtze River Delta’s digital economy. State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company has provided full-cycle, tailored power guarantee services for the project. During the construction phase, the company implemented the “Power-on Upon Arrival” service model and deployed a 110kV dual-power supply system to ensure on-schedule power delivery. After official operation, a 24/7 dedicated operation and maintenance system was established to sustain the stable and reliable performance of the center’s computing businesses.

To support the full roll‑out of market‑based power policies, State Grid Suzhou has proactively partnered with Hongyun Technology to take part in power market seminars. It clarifies key operational points for retail power transactions and green power settlement, and encourages enterprises to optimize energy consumption based on market price signals. During the critical summer peak power consumption period, the two parties further deepened government-enterprise collaboration to tap load regulation potential and build a standardized demand response mechanism. By optimizing refrigeration systems, deploying self-contained power supplies, and scheduling non-urgent computing tasks off-peak, the project has achieved an adjustable load capacity of 13,000 kilowatts without compromising core business operations, enabling rapid load reduction within 30 minutes.

Following the implementation of the new transmission and distribution tariff policy, State Grid Suzhou conducted on-site policy briefings and precise electricity cost calculations for Hongyun Technology, helping the enterprise save over ten million yuan in annual electricity expenses. Both parties continue to conduct in-depth research on green power consumption and digital twin applications for data centers. The collaboration is transforming the traditional one-way power supply relationship into a two-way symbiotic digital energy partnership, setting a replicable practical example for the coordinated development of the new power system and the digital economy.

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SOURCE State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company

11 WLF Prize laureates; the first time scientists of Chinese descent have been awarded; inaugural WLF Prize for Young Scientists launched.

SHANGHAI, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Yicai Global:

On the morning of September 10, the winners of the 2026 World Laureates Foundation Prize (WLF Prize) were officially announced at the Lingang Center in Shanghai. It is the fifth year of the prize since its establishment in 2021, with 11 scientists honored this year. Notably, the WLF Prize for Young Scientists was awarded for the first time, further highlighting outstanding young scientists from around the world. The award ceremony will be held during the World Laureates Forum from October 30 to November 1.

The 2026 WLF Prize is initiated and organized by the World Laureates Foundation (WLF), with prize funding donated exclusively by HongShan and support from the Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology Innovation and Development Foundation.

WU Xiaohua, Chairman of WLF, said in his opening remarks at the press conference that both the number and the quality of nominations for the 2026 WLF Prize reached a multi-year high. Nominees came from leading universities and research institutions in many different countries and regions, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, a testament to the global representation and academic rigor of this year’s nominations. The WLF Prize, he added, has grown into an international science award with broad influence among the world’s top scientists.

I. Honors Unveiled: Three Prizes Recognize Landmark Scientific Breakthroughs

At the press conference, the winners of three categories of the 2026 WLF Prize were announced: one laureate of the WLF Prize in Computer Science or Mathematics (CSM), four laureates of the WLF Prize in Life Science or Medicine (LSM), and six laureates of the inaugural WLF Prize for Young Scientists. Another 10 young researchers were named the WLF Prize for Young Scientist Finalists.

2026 WLF Prize Laureate in Computer Science or Mathematics: Ingrid DAUBECHIES, Duke University. HUA Xiansheng, Executive Director of the Institute of AI for Engineering at Tongji University, announced the laureate and the citation, recognizing her “major contributions in applied harmonic analysis, wavelet theory, and image compression, and her leadership in the international mathematics community.” Michael I. JORDAN, Chair of the WLF Prize Selection Committee in Computer Science or Mathematics, offered an interpretation authoritative assessment of the winner’s work prize-winning work via video. Prof. DAUBECHIES has been responsible for some of the most profound developments in Wavelet theory, most notably the compactly supported continuous wavelet, which gave rigorous mathematical meaning to the notion of locality. Prof. DAUBECHIES will receive a prize of RMB 10 million.

2026 WLF Prize Laureates in Life Science or Medicine: YUAN Junying, Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China; WANG Xiaodong, National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China; SHAO Feng, National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China; and Vishva DIXIT, Genentech Inc., USA.

SUN Yongkui, Director of Shanghai Innovative Drug R&D Center, announced the laureates and the citation, honoring them for “elucidating the molecular pathways of distinct forms of programmed cell death, and analyzing the mechanisms through which those pathways govern diverse physiological functions and disease pathogenesis.” Randy SCHEKMAN, Chair of the WLF Prize Selection Committee in Life Science or Medicine, offered an authoritative assessment of the winners’ work via video. The four pioneering scientists were recognized for discoveries that transformed programmed cell death from a set of observed biological phenomena into precisely defined molecular pathways. These four laureates will share a prize of RMB 10 million.

Inaugural WLF Prize for Young Scientists: awarded to six young scientists. PENG Huisheng, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Vice Chairman of the World Laureates Foundation, announced the winners with their citations. Raphaële Juliette CLÉMENT, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, is awarded “for being a leading young researcher in future energy materials, with significant discoveries in solid-state systems for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. She is a core driving force in the R&D of next-generation battery technologies.” CHEN Peining, Fudan University, is awarded “for breaking through the classical structural paradigm of electronic devices, making major contributions in the field of novel flexible electronic materials and devices, and expected to drive transformative development in human-computer interaction technology and industry.” DING Shiqian, Tsinghua University, is awarded “for being a precision explorer of fundamental physics, achieving pioneering experimental results in continuous‑wave vacuum ultraviolet lasers, the thorium‑229 nuclear clock, and nuclear quantum precision measurements.” WU Jiajun, Stanford University, is awarded “for pioneering foundational architectures for the era of embodied intelligence. He develops physically grounded world models that bridge artificial intelligence and the real physical world, with profound implications for the future of robotics, AI4S, and beyond.” XIE Weidi, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, is awarded “for establishing a highly impactful model of AI4S, achieving major breakthroughs in AI-enabled reasoning, diagnosis, and treatment of rare diseases, and translating these advances into tangible real-world impact on healthcare.” ZHUANG Ziquan, Johns Hopkins University, is awarded “for being a leading figure of the new generation of international mathematicians, and for his fundamental contributions to K-stability and high-dimensional birational geometry.” Each of the six laureates will receive RMB 1 million.

Additionally, 10 young researchers were honored as Finalists for the 2026 WLF Prize for Young Scientists: AI Qingyao, Tsinghua University; Cesar DE LA FUENTE, University of Pennsylvania; LI Tingxin, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; LINGHU Changyang, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; LIN Song, Stanford University; PENG Bo, Fudan University; TIAN He, Tsinghua University; WANG Ye, University of Science and Technology of China; WU Qingqing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and ZHU Keren, Fudan University.

II. Five Years On: Four Milestones That Define the Prize

This year marks the fifth year of the prize. Four distinctive features set the 2026 edition apart: for the first time, scientists of Chinese descent have won in the prize’s history; the WLF Prize for Young Scientists is newly established and open to researchers worldwide; both the diversity of the nominees and the innovation of the award mechanism have reached unprecedented levels.

Through five years of efforts, the WLF Prize has become a new benchmark for international awards. The prize was established in Shanghai in 2021. It has recognized 12 scientists in the past four years. With five laureates in the two senior categories and six in the inaugural young scientist category this year, a total of 23 scientists have now received the WLF Prize—a mark of its rising international standing.

The inaugural WLF Prize for Young Scientists embodies the notion that “The future of science lies in the youth.” The new category underscores WLF Prize’s care and support for young researchers. It also aligns with Shanghai’s drive to build a youth-development-oriented city, which offers a more favorable environment for young people to unleash their potential, and echoes Lingang’s vibrant practice of developing a sci-tech innovation city and fostering “a young city, and a city for the young.”

Scientists of Chinese descent win for the first time, taking a historically high proportion. Three of the four laureates in Life Science or Medicine and five of the six laureates of the inaugural WLF Prize for Young Scientists are of Chinese descent. Meanwhile, among all the scientists nominated for the 2026 WLF Prize, those of Chinese descent accounted for more than half, demonstrating their growing engagement and influence in the world’s frontier research fields.

With their eyes on the stars and feet firmly on the ground, global intellect and industrial forces join hands to stride toward the future. Alongside its focus on breakthroughs in frontier basic science, the WLF Prize actively engaged candidates representing emerging industries and future industries, with special attention to disruptive technological change and the commercialization of innovations. From the mechanisms of cell death to next-generation therapies, and from wavelet theory to modern imaging and data technologies, the recognized work continues to supply original innovation to fields including biomedicine and artificial intelligence.

III. Next Stop, Lingang — The 2026 World Laureates Forum to Kick Off in October

The laureates met with the press via video link during the press conference, reflecting on their research careers and looking ahead to what lies ahead.

The WLF Prize recognizes researchers and technology pioneers who have never received a top award such as the Nobel Prize, the Turing Award, the Wolf Prize, the Abel Prize, the Lasker Award, the Canada Gairdner International Award, or the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. The WLF Prize for Young Scientists, launched this year, aims to identify and recognize outstanding and promising young scientists worldwide. It focuses on basic science and interdisciplinary frontier research, and closely follows emerging trends in the formation of new quality productive forces and future technological innovation. Each medal carries not merely honor, but also expectations for the continuous advancement of scientific exploration. The WLF Prize for Young Scientists recognizes the potential of today and looks forward to future growth. Today’s young laureates may well become world-leading scientists who drive major scientific breakthroughs and claim the WLF Prize tomorrow.

The WLF Prize’s forward-looking vision in identifying original achievements has won repeated recognition from the global scientific community. Dirk GÖRLICH, a 2022 WLF Prize laureate, received the 2025 Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, which is widely regarded as a bellwether for the Nobel Prize. Michael I. JORDAN, also a 2022 WLF Prize laureate, was honored with the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award. Yurii NESTEROV, a 2023 WLF Prize laureate, was awarded the Gauss Prize by the International Congress of Mathematicians in 2026, which is the highest distinction in applied mathematics.

The 2026 WLF Prize award ceremony will be held alongside the opening of the World Laureates Forum, from October 30 to November 1, at the Lingang Center in Shanghai. The laureates will attend the ceremony and Forum sessions, joining discussions under the theme “New Science Paradigm: Break Through for the Next Decade.”

The event was attended by representatives of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology, Lin-gang Special Area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, HongShan, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, East China Normal University, Shanghai University, Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology Innovation and Development Foundation, and the World Laureates Foundation, along with reporters from more than 20 media outlets.

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SOURCE Yicai Global