Founded by Yi PAN in 2003, Inovance (匯川技術), a leading automation machinery manufacturer, has rapidly expanded, boasting a diverse range of products from low voltage AC drives to industrial robots. Shenzhen Inovance Tech went public on the Shenzhen A-share Growth Enterprise Market, and now boasts a research base in Suzhou with more than 20,000 staff. The company has quickly expanded its network to include research bases in Yueyang, Changzhou, Nanjing, Xi’an, Jinan and other cities, along with establishing a presence in Hungary and India. Inovance's success story is marked by a strong focus on talent acquisition and a commitment to innovation. It also exemplifies the power of AI in the present. 

Since 2015, Inovance has leveraged AI to explore various industrial applications, from quality checking to production process optimization. Yi believes AI empowers people, not replaces them. "AI is not the future, it is really the ‘now’," he says. "People will always be giving directions, and AI will be doing the hard work." 

Yi's entrepreneurial spirit, honed during his EMBA program, led him to establish Value Capital in 2017, a venture capital firm focused on supporting technology startups. Value Capital prioritizes quality over quantity, recruiting only top university graduates with a master's degree or above. 

Beyond business, Yi is passionate about social causes. His involvement in the Ya'an earthquake relief effort in 2013 led him to establish several foundations dedicated to supporting education projects for Chinese children. He also made a significant donation to HKUST, establishing the Pan Yi Named Professorship in Business. 

Alumni Newsletter Summer 2024  

Update date: June 2024