Jiajun Duan Selected for 2025 Forbes China Returnee Elite List: A Decade Deepening AI-Energy Integration to Empower CRRC's Global High-End Manufacturing

Recently, the 2025 Forbes China Returnee Elite Top 100 List was announced. Jiajun Duan, Smart Grid Expert at CRRC Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock Research Institute Co., Ltd. (affiliated with CRRC Technology Innovation Beijing Co., Ltd.) and Senior Technical Expert at CRRC Corporation Limited (CRRC), successfully made the list. This honor not only represents authoritative recognition of his over a decade of dedication to the interdisciplinary field of AI and energy technology but also highlights the journey of a globally-minded innovator who leverages Silicon Valley expertise to drive technological breakthroughs for a leading global manufacturing enterprise. At 35, armed with a Ph.D. from Lehigh University in the United States and practical experience at a Fortune 500 company in Silicon Valley, he has crafted a compelling story of "innovation for global impact" through tangible technological achievements in the smart energy sector.

Academic Foundation: Cross-Disciplinary Expertise, Solid Technical Groundwork

Jiajun Duan's research journey was defined by a "cross-disciplinary" focus from the start. In 2013, he graduated with distinction from the School of Electrical Engineering (Wu Yuzhang Honor College) at Sichuan University. Leveraging his solid professional foundation, he pursued a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Lehigh University in the U.S. During his five years of overseas study, he refused to be confined to a single discipline, instead pinpointing the interdisciplinary field of "AI algorithms + power systems." While delving into cutting-edge theories such as mathematical optimization and machine learning, he proactively engaged in engineering practice, gradually developing a mindset of "identifying global industrial pain points first, then pursuing technological innovation."

During his Ph.D. studies, Duan's research on "smart energy dispatching algorithms" gained prominence. Relevant results were published in top international industry journals, and some algorithms were widely cited by industry experts-earning him an opportunity to work as a researcher at the Global Energy Interconnection North American Research Institute. Over four years in Silicon Valley, he deeply participated in multiple comprehensive renewable energy and energy storage management projects across North America, leading core algorithm design and system construction. He not only witnessed the industrialization logic of world-class technologies but also keenly observed: "The global high-end manufacturing and renewable energy sectors face urgent demands for innovative solutions, offering abundant scenarios for technology scaling." This insight led him to seek a platform with global reach to maximize his impact. In 2021, he joined Flex Ltd. as a Senior Power Systems Engineer, further honing his ability to integrate technology with diverse industrial manufacturing scenarios worldwide.

Driving Global Impact: Rooted in CRRC, Solving Universal Industry Pain Points

In 2022, Jiajun Duan made a pivotal decision: joining CRRC Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock Research Institute Co., Ltd. as a Smart Power Supply Expert to lead global R&D initiatives for clean energy solutions.

Prior to this, Dr. Duan had already targeted the long-standing universal industry issue of "high energy consumption and difficult dispatching" in smart power systems. Leading his team in bold innovation, he introduced deep reinforcement learning algorithms into power control, successfully developing the "Power Grid Brain" regulation platform-the world's first technological achievement applying artificial intelligence to closed-loop control of power systems. This platform does not rely on complex physical models; instead, it autonomously optimizes dispatching strategies by perceiving real-time environmental changes, reducing power grid losses while precisely controlling power flow and voltage, effectively solving a key pain point for industries worldwide.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/c85b0bcce908607dafbf3a0c63ffec9f.jpg

(Hamburg Wind Energy Exhibition in Germany: Presenting CRRC's Clean Energy Solutions to the Global Audience)

This technology has been validated through extensive global applications: Following its deployment in Jiangsu Provincial Power Dispatching Center's Security Zone I (as part of CRRC's regional operations), it successfully linked with the existing D5000 energy management system, achieving significant grid loss reduction-earning acclaim from industry experts as a "landmark achievement in power system intelligence." It has also been adopted in smart power supply projects for urban transit systems in Jinan and Qingdao, where Dr. Duan led on-site debugging under demanding conditions, delivering both energy conservation and cost reduction. Colleagues describe him as "always available and responsive"-a dedication that also led his team to win first place among 150 global teams in the international Power AI Competition organized by France's RTE in 2019.

The Code of Innovation: From 0 to 1, Translating Technology into Global Value

"Research should not stay in the laboratory; technology must take root and create tangible global value." This is a phrase Dr. Duan often repeats, and it serves as his guiding principle. For over a decade, he has eschewed "technological gimmicks," focusing unwaveringly on real industrial pain points worldwide. Colleagues regard him as "courageous in pioneering and reliable," not only integrating cutting-edge technologies into R&D in innovative ways but also generously sharing his knowledge with global team members, guiding them patiently without any sense of superiority. He has delivered an impressive track record of "theory + global practice": publishing over 40 papers in top international industry journals, cited more than 2,000 times; holding 10 patents (6 in the U.S. and 4 in China); authoring 1 monograph; participating in compiling 1 group standard; and leading the R&D of multiple systems and technologies that have achieved large-scale commercial implementation across continents.

In the field of comprehensive renewable energy and energy storage management, he led the development of the GreenSmith system, mastering core technologies for renewable energy and energy storage in both grid-connected and islanded operation modes, significantly improving the absorption capacity of clean energy. Currently, this system has been implemented in multiple microgrid projects across North America, South America, the Caribbean Islands, the Pacific Islands, and Singapore, with a total output value exceeding 300 million US dollars-becoming a flagship case of smart energy technology's global scalability.

Addressing the universal industry challenge of "algorithm black boxes" (opaque decision-making logic) in industrial intelligent control, Dr. Duan's team innovatively combined mathematical modeling (such as convex optimization and game theory) with Explainable AI (XAI) technology, constructing a traceable chain of "algorithm logic-physical mechanism-decision basis." He often says, "Research requires awe, gratitude, and a lasting passion like encountering a muse for the first time." Facing difficulties with optimism and calm, and honors with humility, this breakthrough has made the decision-making process of intelligent control clear and verifiable, fully meeting global industrial demands for algorithm transparency and reliability, and greatly enhancing system stability under complex operating conditions. For these achievements, his team has won 2 international first-class technological innovation awards and 2 provincial/municipal first-class technological innovation awards, earning widespread recognition across the global industry.

Global Responsibility: Empowering Dual Carbon Goals, Leading Industry Upgrade Worldwide

As global "dual carbon" goals (peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality) gain momentum, Dr. Duan has expanded his research direction to include rail transit decarbonization and zero-carbon park construction-solutions with universal applicability. He led the R&D of "key technologies for intelligent control and low-carbon upgrading of rail transit," establishing a complete technical system covering "energy consumption monitoring-optimized dispatching-emission reduction accounting," which precisely addresses the global industry pain points of high energy consumption and unclear emission reduction paths in traditional rail transit systems.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/f54673a57cde35f11381c1c42f09a9ab.jpg

(High-Level Talent Exchange Conference of Numerous Universities)

Building on this, he has actively promoted cross-domain technological applications, developing mature solutions for scenarios such as zero-carbon parks, integrated energy management, and discrete enterprise energy efficiency management-all designed to serve global clients. These solutions, through the integration of advanced algorithms with new devices and software engineering, provide integrated efficiency improvement services for government agencies, multinational corporations, and manufacturing enterprises worldwide-reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and supporting green emission reduction. Among them, the discrete enterprise energy efficiency management system has helped pilot manufacturing enterprises across regions reduce operating costs by an average of over 15%, gaining strong market acceptance globally.

Behind his technological innovations lies recognition through prestigious honors. Dr. Duan has been selected for the Taishan Innovation Industry Leading Talent Program and the National High-Level Leading Talent Program. In 2025, he won prominent awards including the CRRC May Fourth Youth Medal and the Special Prize for Technological Innovation Achievements of the China Equipment Management Association. His inclusion in the Forbes China Returnee Elite Top 100 further serves as authoritative endorsement of his global industry-leading role.

Future Outlook: Anchoring Global High-End Manufacturing, Cultivating International Innovative Talents

Reflecting on his Forbes selection, Dr. Duan acknowledges it as both an honor and a global responsibility. Standing at a new starting point, he has clear goals: on one hand, to continue deepening the interdisciplinary field of AI and energy technology, focusing on core global scenarios such as rail transit smart power supply and renewable energy optimized dispatching, overcoming more "chokepoint technologies," and building an internationally competitive technical system; on the other hand, to promote large-scale global implementation of innovative achievements, enabling technology to better serve global high-end manufacturing upgrading and dual carbon goals.

"The advantage of professionals with an international background lies in having both a global perspective and cross-cultural collaboration capabilities," Dr. Duan says. In the future, he will continue to leverage this advantage-keeping pace with international technological frontiers while adapting to diverse regional industrial realities. He will also drive his global team to cultivate more innovative talents who "understand theory and can practice." He plans to co-establish R&D platforms with leading universities and enterprises worldwide, deepen global industry-academia-research integration, and enable more young talents to grow rapidly by solving practical industrial problems across regions.

From Silicon Valley's research laboratories to global manufacturing hubs, from the podium of international competitions to Forbes' elite list, Jiajun Duan has proven through a decade of dedicated efforts: truly valuable technology will ultimately take root in global industrial soil; truly impactful innovators will always resonate with worldwide sustainable development. As he adheres to his original aspiration with unwavering resolve, his passion for technological progress vividly reflects the dedication of contemporary young scientific innovators to global advancement. Amid the vigorous development of global high-end manufacturing and renewable energy industries, Jiajun Duan is leading the way, injecting a steady stream of technological momentum into the sustainable development of the world's high-end manufacturing sector.
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