GCL Group Signs Strategic Cooperation Agreement with California University of Science and Technology, USA
On April 22, a delegation led by Qin Zhigang, President of California University of Science and Technology (CUST), visited GCL Energy Center in Suzhou and held a symposium with Zhu Gongshan, Chairman of GCL Group, together with human resource teams from all business segments of the Group. On behalf of GCL Group, Zhu Kun, Vice President of GCL International and Vice President of GCL Technology, officially signed the Strategic Framework Agreement on Industry-Education Integration and International Talent Cultivation in the New Energy Industry with CUST.
The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on industry-education integration in the new energy sector, international talent training for AI-enabled energy, and global strategic coordination. This cooperation is a key initiative for GCL Group to fully implement its Green Energy Going Global strategy, expand global footprint, and advance the digital transformation of AI-driven energy. It will inject strong impetus into the Group’s high-quality growth and the global energy transition.
At the symposium, Zhu Gongshan extended a warm welcome to President Qin and his entourage, and elaborated on GCL Group’s development strategy and global layout. Currently, GCL is accelerating its strategic transformation with a clear focus on building a Technology-oriented, Digital-powered and Green GCL. Taking material technology as the core and AI & digitalization as the engine, its subsidiary GCL Technology is evolving from a photovoltaic material manufacturer into a world-leading R&D and intelligent manufacturer of high-tech zero-carbon energy materials. Deeply engaged in silicon, carbon and lithium materials, GCL leverages disruptive technologies including granular silicon, perovskite and silicon-carbon anode materials to build a full industrial chain ecosystem covering material R&D – intelligent manufacturing – scenario application, continuously leading the low-carbon and intelligent upgrading of the global new energy industry.
In terms of global layout, GCL has established a business network covering core regions across the globe including North America and Africa. In the North American market, the Group is actively deploying photovoltaic manufacturing, energy storage and comprehensive energy services, and plans to build production bases for silane gas, granular silicon and perovskite to deeply integrate into local energy industrial chains. In Africa, centering on the full oil & gas industrial chain project in Ethiopia, GCL cooperates with local enterprises to build a benchmark for energy cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, while expanding emerging businesses such as wind-solar-storage integration and lithium industrial chain. To date, GCL’s businesses and solutions have covered more than 70 countries and regions worldwide, with overseas revenue proportion climbing steadily and global competitiveness growing increasingly prominent.
Against the backdrop of deep integration between AI and energy industries, GCL Group has taken the lead in exploring the new track of AI + Energy, reshaping core industrial competitiveness through digitalization and intelligence.
· On the R&D side, AI high-throughput equipment has drastically shortened the R&D cycle of perovskite, accelerating the rollout of technologies from laboratories to GW-scale mass production.
· On the production side, AI optimizes granular silicon production processes in real time, cutting energy consumption and carbon emissions while significantly boosting product yield.
· On the operation side, AI large models effectively solve energy forecasting challenges, enabling full-scale implementation of virtual power plants, green power trading and intelligent operation & maintenance. An efficient operation model of computing-power coordination and integrated generation-grid-load-storage has taken shape, realizing two-way empowerment between green power and AI computing power.
Qin Zhigang spoke highly of GCL’s strategic layout and technological strength. He introduced CUST’s top-tier faculty and distinctive disciplinary strengths in artificial intelligence, new energy, business administration and other fields, noting that the university’s educational orientation is highly compatible with GCL’s industrial development needs.
To ensure effective delivery of the cooperation, both sides have set up a special working group. The group will take overall charge of the preparation, positioning planning and joint school operation of the AI Energy School at CUST, and coordinate key work such as establishing cooperative entities and completing administrative procedures. Meanwhile, it will coordinate and advance core tasks including the selection of the first MBA cohort, preparation for the 2026 "GCL Cup" Global University Students AI Energy Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition, and organization of the first senior executive study program Wisdom for the Future: AI Energy Entrepreneur Leadership Program. A project-based, list-driven and responsibility-targeted mechanism will be adopted to ensure all cooperation delivers tangible results.
Zhu Gongshan remarked that talent is the primary resource for corporate development, and global competition in the AI energy industry is essentially competition for high-end talents. The strategic cooperation with CUST is an important layout for GCL to improve its global talent ecosystem and underpin the implementation of its AI energy strategy. Going forward, GCL will give full play to its industrial, technological and market advantages, deepen resource sharing and complementary strengths with CUST, and create a new collaborative development model of Industry + Education + Technology + Globalization to cultivate a pool of international talents leading the AI energy revolution. At the same time, the Group will continue to accelerate strategic transformation, further deepen its layout in zero-carbon energy material technology, expand global market presence, empower the entire industrial chain with AI digitalization, and contribute GCL’s strength to global energy transition and sustainable development.
It is reported that the strategic cooperation marks a milestone step for GCL Group in AI energy talent training, global expansion and innovative industry-education integration. Moving forward, the two sides will pragmatically advance all cooperative projects, jointly set a new benchmark for international energy industry-education integration, and deliver sustained talent and innovation vitality for the high-quality development of the global zero-carbon energy industry.
Li Yuanyuan, Director of International Cooperation Department of California University of Science and Technology; Li Kecun, Vice President of GCL SI; Ji Zhengyang, Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer of GCL Technology China, attended the event, among other representatives.
