The China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation and Promotion Award was established with the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the State Science and Technology Award Office, and it is the highest honorary award in China's industry-university-research (IUR) community. The award comprises five sub-awards, including the "Outstanding Contribution Award for Industry-University-Research Cooperation", the "Innovation Award for Industry-University-Research Cooperation", the "Industry-University-Research Cooperation Promotion Award", the "Industry-University-Research Craftsman Spirit Award", and the "Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Achievement Award". On March 17, 2024, the 15th China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Conference was held in Beijing, where it honored advanced units and individuals who have made contributions to the deep integration of industry, university, and research in 2023. The Port informatization team of our Institute, which led and presided over the results of "Key Technologies and Applications of Digital Intelligence Enabling Bulk and General Cargo Port Production", jointly declared with Guangzhou Port Group, and it won the first prize of the China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Achievement Award in 2023.

Guangzhou Port is one of the top five large-scale hub ports globally and in China. The Port informatization team from our Institute, consisting of Professor Huang Lei, Professor Liu Shifeng, and Associate Professor Wang Ying, has continuously conducted "industry-university-research" cooperation with Guangzhou Port Group for over 20 years. Based on information collection and data fusion from bulk and general cargo ports utilizing the Internet of Things, we adopted process mining technology to realize business process analysis and model optimization for bulk cargo and commodity truck operations. Additionally, we constructed a series of production and management innovation models, including the early warning model for port bulk cargo pickup risk, the intelligent scheduling model for the berths and storage yards of bulk cargo ports, and the data asset value evaluation model for bulk cargo ports. We have developed and implemented numerous production and management systems for Guangzhou Port Group, such as the "Integrated Management System of Port Bulk and General Cargo Handling and Logistics based on the Internet of Things," the "One Single System" paperless online business hall for port logistics, and a big data-based bulk and general cargo port pickup risk warning system. These systems have been fully launched and applied in the production and operation departments of Guangzhou Port Group, as well as major bulk and general cargo handling companies like Xinsha Port Company, Huangpu Port Company, Xingang Port Company, Nansha General Grain Terminal Company, and Petrochemical Company. They have comprehensively optimized the port's production and management processes, significantly shortened the non-productive berthing time of ships at the port, reduced cargo damage and shortages, and improved the overall operational efficiency of the port by more than 20%. This has effectively supported the smooth growth of Guangzhou Port Group's bulk and general cargo throughput, from 139.42 million tons in 2013 to 225.95 million tons today, enabling Guangzhou Port to achieve significant economic and social benefits.

With the support of dozens of national, provincial, and ministerial-level science and technology projects entrusted by enterprises, and leveraging the "industry-university-research" cooperation mechanism established in partnership with Guangzhou Port, the Port informatization team of our Institute has constructed a platform for nurturing high-level talents and scientific research leaders for the information management major of our Institute. Furthermore, the team has explored a model for training senior talents in the information management major that integrates "industry-university-research" principles. The port informatization team centers on teachers as the core, and utilizes graduate students as the research and development, as well as application implementation force. The team has trained over 100 doctoral and master's students, who have undergone practical training in demand understanding, process design, function realization, application implementation, feedback optimization, and other aspects on the front lines of port production management. Additionally, they have completed the full training process, which involves refining and sublimating theories from actual needs, and conducting forward-looking research for further development. During this period, the students have also cultivated a strong sense of responsibility under the challenging conditions of application and implementation, demonstrated a willingness to help and lead, and exhibited team spirit. They have produced a significant number of outstanding papers and graduation projects, and have been highly recognized by the job market, resulting in widespread employment in major universities, national information centers, leading central enterprises, and IT industry leaders, with remarkable achievements.