Advertisement
Exclusive | Jack Ma visits Dutch research institutes as Alibaba’s founder pursues post-retirement passion in agriculture technology
- Jack Ma was photographed visiting a number of research institutes in the Netherlands for a study tour of technology related to agriculture
- The founder of Alibaba Group Holding, who retired as chairman in 2019, is undertaking the personal trip, according to sources familiar with his plans
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
20
Jack Ma, the founder of the world’s largest e-commerce platform Alibaba Group Holding, is visiting research institutions in the Netherlands to further his interest in the technology of agriculture, according to people familiar with his first overseas trip in more than a year.
Ma, who retired as Alibaba’s chairman in 2019 on his 55th birthday, is undertaking his study tour in his personal capacity, according to the people.
The former English teacher was photographed visiting a number of Dutch research institutions, where the technology of the BOAL Group, a specialist in aluminium extrusions and greenhouse roofs, was on display.
Advertisement
Alibaba’s spokespeople declined to comment on their former chairman’s trip since he is no longer involved in the company’s daily operations.
The entrepreneur will continue travelling in Europe to visit more companies and research institutions involved in agricultural infrastructure, plant breeding, and the training of expertise in the field, according to people familiar with his plans. Ma was inspired by what he saw in Europe and believed that a combination of the technology with Alibaba’s cloud computing, big data analysis and artificial intelligence would create tremendous potential for the modernisation of agriculture in China, the people said.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x