Alibaba Donates Quantum Lab to University Amid AI Focus Shift

The move is part of a broader internal restructuring, with the company's Damo Academy now prioritizing AI in agriculture and healthcare.

Alibaba's Damo Academy is donating its quantum lab to Zhejiang University, shifting its focus to AI in agriculture and healthcare.
Alibaba was one of the earliest Chinese tech companies to invest in quantum technology, establishing a quantum computing lab in Shanghai in 2015.
The quantum lab's 30 employees represent a small part of Alibaba's overall R&D team, and Zhejiang University is expected to try and recruit them.
Alibaba's internal restructuring has led to the closure of the quantum lab, following a scrapped plan to spin-off its cloud division.
Alibaba's new CEO Eddie Wu has stated that each of the company's businesses will face the market more independently and undergo strategic reviews to distinguish between 'core' and 'non-core' businesses.