China's First AI-Meteorology MaaS Platform Launched in Shanghai
On March 31, the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Meteorological Application Innovation Center began construction, aiming to advance AI-meteorology integration and drive Shanghai‘s AI development.
On the afternoon of March 31, the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Meteorological Application Innovation Center officially commenced construction in the "Mosu Space" Innovation Ecosystem Community in Xuhui District. Wang Weiren, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Government, and Bi Baogui, Deputy Director of the China Meteorological Administration, delivered speeches at the launch ceremony. Together with Wang Hua, Deputy Secretary of the Xuhui District Committee and District Mayor, they initiated the construction of the innovation center. Attendees, including Feng Lei, Director of the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau; Zhang Hongtao, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization; Li Shuang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Shanghai; as well as leaders, experts, scholars, and representatives from leading institutions such as the Xiong’an Meteorological Artificial Intelligence Innovation Institute and the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, gathered to witness this milestone event.
Supported jointly by the Shanghai Municipal Government and the China Meteorological Administration, the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Meteorological Application Innovation Center was co-established by the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and enterprises including China Unicom Shanghai. The center aims to create a comprehensive platform integrating technological innovation, industrial incubation, and international collaboration in AI-driven meteorological applications. Its establishment accelerates the practical implementation of "AI + meteorology" and injects new momentum into Shanghai’s efforts to elevate its AI development under the "Modeling Shanghai" initiative.
The launch of the center marks the opening of a new chapter in AI-meteorology applications. Seizing this opportunity, China Unicom Shanghai joined forces with the innovation center, the National Meteorological Center, and leading enterprises and institutions in AI to form a Strategic Cooperation Alliance. This alliance will consolidate industry resources and expertise to deepen the integration of AI and meteorology. China Unicom Shanghai pledged to enhance open collaboration and enrich the ecosystem for AI-meteorology applications.
During the achievements announcement session, Feng Lei emphasized that Shanghai is leveraging the innovation center to pioneer a new paradigm for weather forecasting combining "data enhancement + AI models + physical constraints" and to develop a next-generation meteorological service model centered on "high-quality data corpus + meteorological agents." These efforts aim to advance the global application of AI in meteorology.
To accelerate industrial incubation and scenario-based implementation, China Unicom Shanghai and the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau jointly unveiled the nation’s first AI-meteorology MaaS (Model as a Service) platform. Built on a framework of "robust infrastructure + powerful capability platforms + high-quality operations," the platform integrates computing networks, meteorological data resources, and foundational components of large models. It enables one-stop development of "AI + meteorology" services, empowering cross-industry applications and fostering ecosystem collaboration.
The event also featured an AI-Meteorology Application Seminar titled "Intelligence Opens a New Chapter, Collaboration Builds a New Ecosystem," alongside the signing of a Party Building-Empowered Ecosystem Collaboration Agreement between China Unicom Shanghai and multiple partners. At the subsequent "Modeling Shanghai: Into Scenarios" weekly session, a China Unicom technical expert delivered a keynote speech titled "The Second Half of the 'Hundred Models Competition' from an Operator’s Perspective: Building Vertical AIGC Platforms (MaaS)", exploring practical applications and trends of AI in meteorology with industry leaders.
Looking ahead, China Unicom Shanghai will collaborate with the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau and ecosystem partners to build a new "government-industry-academia-research-application" integrated ecosystem for meteorological services. Key focuses include sustaining the AI-meteorology MaaS platform’s operations, developing manageable and measurable city-level service models to lower AI adoption barriers, and creating benchmark scenarios for "meteorology + AI + industries." The ultimate goal is to establish a nation-leading demonstration hub where meteorology empowers industries with intelligent, precise services across sectors.
Pic:pixabay
