On June 7, 2022, the 4th Alibaba AGI Global Business Challenge was launched. Through the method of "replacing training with competition", the challenge focusses on helping leading brands improve their ability to operate abroad and establishes a benchmark for Zhejiang brands expanding and localizing overseas.

(Picture: the 4th Alibaba AGI Global Business Challenge)

The competition, which commenced registration in June, will have participating companies select international talents who will get divided into teams. During the three-month competition, these teams will receive guidance from international brand experts who will help them develop their ability to help brands localize overseas. In September this year, an expert jury will select the winning team, as well as the runner-up and second runner-up.

The competition is the result of a joint collaboration between the China (Hangzhou) Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone Construction Leading Group Office, the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau Exit-Entry Administration, the electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) and the Alibaba Global Innovation and Development Initiative (AGI).

Previous competitions have produced many interesting success cases, utilizing China's expertise in e-commerce to improve the lives of residents in developing countries, including:

• Medikea from Tanzania building an African version of "Ali Health";
• Rwanda's Kraftee building an e-commerce business platform for handrail craftsmen;
• a team of students from Mexico creating an app supporting victims of domestic violence, which has greatly improved the living conditions of local women;
• and a team from Turkmenistan establishing a small and well-known local live broadcast: MCN agency.