On July 17, 2026, at the forum "Global AI Governance and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Responses" held during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026 (WAIC 2026), the book AI Pioneer: Excellent AI Application Cases for SMEs in Shanghai (hereinafter referred to as AI Pioneer) was officially released.
Compiled under the systematic planning and guidance of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, this edition of the casebook was jointly organized and authored by the Shanghai Municipal Office for Promoting the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the Shanghai Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Development Service Center, and the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Industry Association. The book systematically reviews, summarizes, and showcases the proactive explorations of Shanghai-based SMEs at the crossroads of intelligent transformation. It features a curated selection of 53 vivid practical cases that delve into cutting-edge technologies—including multimodal foundation models, super agents, and embodied intelligence—applied across various industries.
As a key achievement of Shanghai's efforts to accelerate AI-enabled new quality productive forces and build a world-class AI industrial cluster, the book is divided into two main sections: "AI Empowerment" and "AI Applications." It covers dozens of dimensions, ranging from product R&D and manufacturing to supply chain management and even systemic business-model restructuring. These cases not only demonstrate the quantifiable benefits of "small, fast, light, and precise" implementation projects—such as visual quality inspection, dynamic supply chains, and cloud-based collaborative simulation—but also provide "Shanghai models" that are replicable, referable, and reusable for numerous small and micro enterprises undergoing transformation.
The publication of this book aims to lower the threshold for AI adoption among SMEs and unleash market-driven innovation potential. Looking ahead, under the combined forces of policy guidance, technological advancement, and market vitality, Shanghai's SMEs are poised to take the lead in the expansive "AI+" landscape, contributing their indispensable "pioneering" strength to Shanghai's vision of becoming a globally influential international digital hub.
Original link: 
AI Pioneer: Excellent AI Application Cases for SMEs in Shanghai.pdf
