29 Dec 2025
Recently, the finals of the 2025 2nd National University Cross-Border E-Commerce Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, hosted by the China International Electronic Commerce Centre of the Ministry of Commerce, drew to a close. Students from International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) delivered an outstanding performance. The interdisciplinary team, comprising Senior Year 4 students Yi Zhao and Sixian Fang from the Information Management and Information Systems programme, and Junior Year 3 student Yuxuan Cui from the Business Administration programme, claimed the National Second Prize with their independently developed project “AI-Powered Market Analysis Agent”.
本次获奖项目《基于阿里云百炼平台的跨境电商市场分析报告智能体》，是本届大赛“AI创新应用赛”赛道的重点关注作品。深耕跨境电商行业数十年的校外导师汪琦，精准洞察到谷歌等跨境渠道运营中的行业短板，指出中小企业出海普遍面临市场信息碎片化、数据分析门槛高、报告生成效率低等核心痛点。
Mentored jointly by Dr Kaiyu Xu from IBSS and Mr Qi Wang, General Manager of Suzhou Zhenyou Technology as the External Mentor, the team navigated rigorous selection rounds from the preliminary contest and divisional semi-finals to the national finals. Team members and their mentors were invited to attend the award ceremony at Beijing Foreign Studies University, showcasing IBSS’s remarkable achievements in nurturing talent at the intersection of cross-border e-commerce and AI innovation.
The award-winning project, “Cross-Border E-Commerce Market Analysis Report Agent Based on Alibaba Cloud PAI Platform”, emerged as a highlight in the competition’s AI Innovation Application Track. Drawing on decades of experience in the cross-border e-commerce sector, External Mentor Mr Qi Wang accurately identified industry pain points in the operation of cross-border channels such as Google, noting that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) venturing overseas commonly grapple with fragmented market information, high barriers to data analysis, and low efficiency in report generation.
Addressing these real-world industry challenges, the team leveraged the large model infrastructure of Alibaba Cloud PAI Platform and integrated Mr Qi Wang’s practical expertise to develop a fully implementable intelligent system. This agent can automatically capture and consolidate scattered market data, rapidly conduct industry trend analysis, dissect competitive landscapes, and build potential customer profiles, enabling enterprises to efficiently produce customised market analysis reports. The project fully demonstrates the application value of artificial intelligence technology in B2B service scenarios within cross-border e-commerce. Boasting a clear business logic, mature technical architecture, and well-defined market demand, the team secured first place in the East China Division during the semi-finals and advanced to the national finals. At the finals, they comprehensively presented the core strengths of their project through a detailed proposal and live demonstration, earning high acclaim from the judging panel.
The team’s outstanding achievement was built on the solid groundwork laid during the preliminary contest in June. The competition was exceptionally fierce, with 276 teams competing in Group A and 297 teams in Group B nationwide. To gain a competitive edge among nearly 600 participating teams, four IBSS teams launched intensive sand table simulation exercises in advance. Students and mentors dedicated their spare time to accurately reviewing market dynamics, selecting high-potential products, and formulating differentiated operational strategies.
On 7 June, the day of the preliminary contest, IBSS students gathered for an intensive simulated operation session. On-campus and off-campus tutors provided real-time tactical guidance and strategy optimisation throughout the process. In the end, all four teams lived up to expectations, achieving excellent results: ranking 21st, 23rd, and 29th in Group A, and 13th in Group B. With a 100% promotion rate to the semi-finals, they laid a solid foundation for their subsequent success in competing for national awards. This “practice-oriented” competition preparation and teaching model effectively tested and enhanced students’ practical business capabilities and teamwork skills.
Yi Zhao
Yi Zhao, leader of the award-winning team, commented: “This achievement would not have been possible without the comprehensive support of the University and the School. Through the research and development of this project, we have deeply integrated interdisciplinary knowledge spanning information management systems, computer science, data analysis, supply chain management, marketing, and international trade. The experience has not only honed our technological R&D capabilities but also deepened our understanding of how AI technology can be practically implemented in real-world business scenarios.”
Sixian Fang
Dr Kaiyu Xu and Mr Qi Wang shared the view that the competition serves as a vivid practice of the educational philosophy of “promoting learning and innovation through competition”. By applying cutting-edge AI technology to address practical industry pain points, the student team fully demonstrated solid professional competence, outstanding innovative capabilities, and strong practical skills. Currently, the award-winning team is advancing the iterative upgrading of the agent’s functions and actively exploring in-depth cooperation with cross-border e-commerce platforms and service providers, aiming to transform their competition achievements into productive forces that serve the real economy.
The team’s success in this competition was made possible by the support of IBSS, the personnel support provided by Suzhou Zhenyou Technology Co., Ltd., and the professional guidance and advice from Dr Xiangyun Lu, Associate Professor at IBSS and Head of the AI Task Force. Looking ahead, IBSS will continue to deepen industry-academia integration, establish more interdisciplinary platforms for innovation and entrepreneurship practice, and cultivate more business professionals equipped with an international perspective, innovative spirit, and practical capabilities.
29 Dec 2025