On June 1, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) approved the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Equipment Engineering Technology Center based on the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, marking the addition of a national ministry research platform in the field of forestry and grassland artificial intelligence and equipment. This will give full play to the advantages of our forestry intelligent equipment disciplines and will open up new space in the forestry and grassland artificial intelligence industry.

NEFU has certain basic research advantages in both forestry artificial intelligence and equipment platform construction and scientific research. Following the establishment of the Forestry Artificial Intelligence Research Institute in 2019, the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering prepared to establish the Artificial Intelligence and Equipment Engineering Technology Center in January 2020, in collaboration with relevant research institutes and enterprises. The center will conduct in-depth research on the application of artificial intelligence in forestry and grasslands, develop intelligent equipment in forestry, grasslands, and woodworking; select mature technologies and equipment for demonstration, promote the transformation and application of forestry and grassland artificial intelligence research results, and enhance the level of forestry and grassland management intelligence; establish a research echelon of forestry and grassland artificial intelligence, and train professional talents in forestry and grassland artificial intelligence.

The College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering will take it as an opportunity to explore new modes of combining industry, academia and research, strengthen mechanism innovation, play its role in technological innovation, results transformation and personnel training, accelerate forestry modernization, contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality, and provide technical support for forestry ecological protection and sustainable development. In addition, the College will practice Xi Jinping's thought of ecological civilization, promote the scientific and technological progress of forestry and grass industry, upgrade forestry and grass equipment industry and contribute to the early realization of China's intelligent forestry construction.