JD.com Inc. on March 12 said it recently launched its Global Supply Chain Innovation Center, a research and development hub for smart supply chain technologies.
The center will operate across China, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and two U.S. locations — Chicago and Silicon Valley. It intends to bring industry experts, companies and universities together to work on supply chain innovations.
The Chinese e-commerce giant will also share its expertise in artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain and internet of things via the research and development facility, according to Yu Yongli, the head of JD's smart supply chain innovation unit.
The hub will be headed by a committee of academics who specialize in supply chain innovation and management.
The R&D center is JD's latest initiative related to developing smart supply chain technologies.
On Feb. 26, the company unveiled AI Catapult, a Beijing-based accelerator program for blockchain startups. It also raised $2.5 billion for its JD Logistics arm to enhance its smart supply chain network. In addition, the company uses blockchain technology to ensure food safety in China by tracing products throughout its supply chain.
