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Huawei's 6th Innovation and IP Forum: Fostering Open Innovation

On November 11, 2025, Huawei hosted its sixth Innovation and Intellectual Property (IP) Forum in Beijing, focusing on the vital role of open innovation in promoting social progress and technological advancements. The event brought together experts and thought leaders from around the globe, highlighting the significance of intellectual property protection as a catalyst for innovation.

During the forum, Huawei announced the recipients of its biannual "Top Ten Inventions" award, showcasing remarkable innovations across various sectors critical for future development. Huawei's Chief Legal Officer, Liuping Song, emphasized the company's commitment to open innovation. He stated, "Open innovation drives society and technology forward, and it's in our DNA. We are committed to an open approach to innovation," underscoring how Huawei both respects others' intellectual property rights and diligently protects its own.

In 2024, Huawei's patent licensing revenues reached approximately $630 million. Notably, the company has paid nearly three times the amount in patent royalties compared to what it has received over the years. This emphasis on IP reflects Huawei's commitment to fostering an environment rich in innovation.

Marco Alemán, Assistant Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), noted that Huawei is a prominent user of WIPO's Global IP Services and a strong proponent of innovation. With 6,600 published Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in 2024, Huawei has consistently been the top user of the PCT system since 2014. This impressive track record illustrates the company's dedication to advancing innovation through collaboration.

Etienne Sanz de Acedo, CEO of the International Trademark Association, echoed the importance of intellectual property as an intangible asset, stating, "IP is a universal language that translates innovation and creativity into quantifiable value." As part of the forum’s discussions, Ningling Wang, President-elect of the Licensing Executives Society International, urged industry leaders and policymakers to foster collaboration, share knowledge, reduce barriers, and practice responsible licensing.

Unveiling the innovations recognized by its Top Ten Inventions award, Huawei presented advancements in computing technologies, the HarmonyOS operating system, and storage solutions—areas pivotal to the future of technology. Alan Fan, Vice President and Head of the Intellectual Property Rights Department at Huawei, reiterated the company's approach to technology sharing through open-source software, patent filings, and academic contributions.

In 2024 alone, Huawei published 37,000 patents, a record for the company. Furthermore, over 10,000 technical contributions to standards organizations and more than 1,000 academic papers demonstrate Huawei's substantial engagement in the global technology dialogue. Notably, the company's open-source projects, OpenHarmony and openEuler, have witnessed tremendous growth, with OpenHarmony's source code expanding by 10 million lines thanks to collaborations from over 8,100 contributors.

The impact of Huawei's patents is significant, with over 2.7 billion 5G devices licensed under its patents in the cellular standards field. In the Wi-Fi domain, more than 1.2 billion consumer electronic devices, and over 3.2 billion multimedia devices have been licensed under the company's video codec patents. Huawei's influence in this regard is underscored by having 48 Fortune Global 500 firms as licensees.

Heiwai Tang, Associate Vice-President of the University of Hong Kong, addressed the vital role of innovation in modern economic growth, highlighting that its sustainability relies on a robust and globally trusted patent system. He acknowledged Huawei's adherence to international IP norms, which maximize IP value while cultivating a healthy business ecosystem.

In line with its commitment to open innovation, Huawei launched the Chaspark Patent site in June 2024—an invaluable resource for researchers seeking patent information, which can often be cost-prohibitive. The latest updates to Chaspark included enhanced features like semantic search and AI-generated summaries.

Prominent speakers at the forum also included Yali Zhu from PatSnap China, Qi Wang from Clarivate, Mattia Fogliacco of Sisvel, and Laurie Fitzgerald of Avanci Vehicle. They shared insights into their experiences and best practices for fostering open innovation.

In conclusion, Liuping Song affirmed Huawei's dedication to creating an environment that not only protects innovation and intellectual property but also promotes collaborative IP protection within the industry. This ongoing commitment ensures that all players in the market can continue to learn, grow, and innovate together, paving the way for a prosperous technological future.