Chinese tech giant Alibaba has made a foray into the 5G technology by establishing a new research center, named XG Lab, which will operate under Alibaba’s research institute Damo Academy, the company announced on Tuesday.

The new lab, also the 15th lab under Damo Academy, will promote the investigation of next-generation communication technologies, said Alibaba.

With a focus on 5G technology and its applications, the lab will develop video codec technologies and internet transmission protocols for various scenarios including high-definition video, remote working, augmented and virtual reality, industrial internet, smart logistics, and autonomous driving.

Zhang Ming, a researcher of the Damo Academy who oversees intelligent network automation and research at Alibaba Cloud, will serve as the head of the XG Lab, according to local media 36Kr.

Founded in 2017, Alibaba’s Damo Academy explores scientific and technological research on intelligence, quantum computing, autonomous driving, and other fields. Last month, it released an AI-powered algorithm able to detect new coronavirus cases with an accuracy rate of up to 96% via computerized tomography scans, KrASIA reported. 

36Kr is KrASIA’s parent company.

This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China.