Driven by the mission and vision of the United Nations' AI for Good (AI4G) global initiative, the Innovate for Impact - AI and Space Computing Forum, jointly hosted by Hangzhou Municipal People's Government and Zhejiang Lab (ZJ Lab), kicked off on September 26, 2025 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The event aimed to explore the latest advancements and future prospects of artificial intelligence (AI) and space computing in serving the sustainable development of human society. As part of the Innovate for Impact series under the AI4G initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the forum also served as a key activity of the Fourth Global Digital Trade Expo.

KE Jixin, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, attended and addressed the conference. He emphasized that in recent years, the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province have earnestly implemented General Secretary XI Jinping's important directives on AI and achieved phased results by seizing AI development opportunities, promoting integrated development of computing power, data, models, applications and ecosystems, and accelerating the building of AI innovation hubs. The deep integration of AI and space computing not only injects new momentum for human exploration of the unknown and expansion of cognitive boundaries but also opens new pathways for addressing global challenges and achieving sustainable development. He expressed hope that participants would engage in a collision of ideas and in-depth intellectual exchanges to jointly advance the accelerated integration of AI and space computing.

Seizo Onoe, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB), delivered an online speech expressing gratitude to all organizers and participants. He highlighted that the Innovate for Impact initiative has conducted case studies on AI-empowered health, education, agriculture, and energy, while remaining committed to identifying and showcasing more successful AI4G examples. Moving forward, ITU will support relevant events, advance standardization efforts, and enhance collaboration with global partners, working towards leveraging AI to create a better life for humanity.

In the Keynote session, ITU Consultant Vishnu Ram detailed the Innovate for Impact initiative's purpose, philosophy and progress through three case studies: AI-powered agriculture in Africa, mangrove conservation enhancement and easier living for people with disabilities. WEI Liang, Vice President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), explained the importance of sustainable and inclusive intelligent computing to AI for All. He highlighted cost-efficient model computing as a key enabler of universal access to AI, with green technology forming the foundation for AI sustainability. Moreover, he presented CAICT's practices in building open intelligent computing ecosystem labs and fostering global consensus on standards. ZHANG Keke, Associate Vice-President of Macau University of Science and Technology, Director of the Macau Institute of Space Technology and Application, and Chief Scientist of the Macau Science Satellite 1 (MSS-1) Project, presented MSS-1 development history, research progress, and next plans. He said that Earth magnetic field research helps probe Earth's deep interior, oceans and space, etc., demonstrating extensive research and application value. His team launched the geomagnetic field model now supporting satellite constellation development for AI-driven discoveries in geophysics. Shivagami Gugan, Chief Technologist for Middle East and Africa Amazon Web Services, advocated human-centric AI that impacts virtually our lives; to that end, it is imperative to build data capacity and exert its role in AI applications, promote responsible AI governance, and truly harness AI for Good. LIU Hongbang, Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor at Guangxi University, demonstrated space computing and AI's role in X-ray polarization of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). As he envisions, "AI and on-board computing enable satellite-to-satellite, space-ground integrated all-weather GRB polarization, marking the beginning of the era of intelligent time-domain astronomy." DOU Changyong, Director of SDG Satellite and Data Processing Department of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, introduced the background of and challenges facing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and showcased the Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1) and the Digital Sustainable Development Goals Programme (DSP), underscoring space computing and AI's potential in advancing Earth observations and achieving SDGs.

In the Panel Discussion session, Vishnu Ram, Shivagami Gugan, WEI Kai (Director of CAICT's AI Research Institute), and LI Zhenting (Deputy Director of ZJ Lab's Standardization and Intellectual Property Service Center) engaged in dialogue about "Innovation and Standards in Space Computing Technology". The discussion focused on challenges, solutions and future prospects arising from the integration of AI and space computing.

The ITU AI/ML-China (the Ingenuity Cup hosted by CAICT): AI and Space Computing Challenge, jointly hosted by ITU, CAICT and ZJ Lab, was officially launched during the conference. The competition features three thematic tracks: Space Intelligence Empowers Zero Hunger, Space Intelligence Provides Access to Clean Water and Sanitation, and Space Intelligence Supports Sustainable Cities and Communities. ZJ Lab will provide participating teams with comprehensive support, including datasets and dedicated algorithm development and verification environments. Registration will officially open on October 26, 2025.

SHI Qinghong, Deputy Secretary-General and First-Class Inspector of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, TONG Guili, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province and Secretary of the Party Committee of ZJ Lab, KONG Chunhao, Member of the Leading Party Members' Group of Hangzhou Municipal People's Government and Director of Hangzhou West Sci-tech Innovation Corridor Management Committee, and leaders from authorities such as Zhejiang Provincial Administration for Market Regulation and Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province attended the forum, which was chaired by ZHAO Zhifeng, Member of the Party Committee and Chief Engineer of ZJ Lab. Participants also included experts and representatives from the ITU AI for Good program, as well as aerospace and standardization fields.