On June 13, the 9th National Vocational Education Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition concluded in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. Among the outstanding teams from over 100 universities nationwide, the project Xiangjiang Shuchuang — AI-Enabled Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage Incense Culture and Digital-Intelligent Agriculture Assistance from Shanghai Zhongqiao Polytechnic University stood out and won the Third Prize in the Undergraduate Category of the Student Track.
The competition was hosted by the China Vocational Education Association and guided by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. It is the first national-level innovation and entrepreneurship competition in China to cover all stages of vocational education. This year's competition attracted thousands of projects from hundreds of institutions across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities nationwide. Centered on the theme Vocational Education Crafts Talents, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Build Dreams, it focused on modern services, traditional culture, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and other industrial directions, showcasing the achievements of vocational education in innovation and entrepreneurship.
The project addresses real pain points in the traditional incense-blending market: product homogenization, susceptibility to mold, and a break in generational transmission. The team integrated artificial intelligence technology into the entire chain of research and development, production, inspection, and promotion of intangible cultural heritage incense products, exploring a digital innovation and entrepreneurship model of AI + Intangible Cultural Heritage + Agriculture Assistance. From the living inheritance of intangible cultural heritage to the digital-intelligent upgrading of the incense industry; from the comprehensive application of professional knowledge to practical exploration in rural revitalization — this project has both cultural roots and technological hands.
