Huawei Hosts the 4th Digital Economy Development Forum at MWC Barcelona 2026
On March 5, 2026, Huawei hosted the fourth Digital Economy Development Forum during the MWC Barcelona 2026. This event gathered almost 100 decision-makers in digital strategy, industry experts, and representatives from various regional industry associations, including those from the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. They collectively explored new opportunities for advancing the digital economy amid the booming era of artificial intelligence (AI).
David Wang, Huawei’s Executive Director of the Board, delivered the keynote address, focusing on crucial themes related to policies, infrastructure, and talent in the context of transforming visions into values for a smart future. He noted the explosive global growth of AI, emphasizing that AI agents are becoming increasingly central to economic discussions. According to IDC, AI is projected to contribute a remarkable $22.3 trillion to the global economy by 2030. This underscores a fundamental shift whereby the essence of the digital economy now pivots from mere themes of "connectivity plus data" to a new paradigm of "AI plus decision-making"—a transformation that is reshaping the global economic landscape and restructuring entire value chains.
Wang highlighted three key areas the global community must address to foster quality development in the digital economy. First, the world requires favorable industrial policies that thoroughly support the digital economy and encourage the comprehensive and parallel development of both digital and real economies. Second, a future-oriented infrastructure is essential; this infrastructure forms the bedrock for the widespread adoption of digital technologies and the digital revolution across industries. Third, a multi-layered, sustainable talent ecosystem is imperative, serving as a strategic pillar for the long-term, sustainable growth of the digital economy. At the conclusion of his address, Wang stated, "The era of AI has arrived, and Huawei will continue to collaborate with everyone to enable intelligent industries and establish a solid foundation for a smarter world. Let us jointly turn visions into values and shape our intelligent future."
During the keynote, attendees discussed the future of digital infrastructure. Joyce Liu, Huawei’s Director of ICT Marketing, pointed out that digital infrastructure is foundational for industrial advancement in the AI era. This necessitates accelerated development of infrastructure across various domains, including networks, energy, and computing power. Industry stakeholders must strive for network connections with latency measured in milliseconds to avoid information silos that could hinder AI development. Furthermore, constructing greener data centers swiftly will be essential to support computational power growth while reducing CO2 emissions.
Professor Rong Ke, Director of the Economic Sciences Institute at Tsinghua University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, stressed that data are a critical production factor in the AI age. He asserted that only through refining digital infrastructure throughout the processes of data generation, transmission, storage, and application can the world fully exploit the value of data.
The forum achieved a foundational consensus on significant topics surrounding the development of the digital economy, recognizing that countries are at different stages of digital economy progress. Therefore, they must formulate AI development strategies and implementation pathways that correspond with their unique contexts to effectively promote intelligent transformations.
Since its inception in 2023, the Huawei Digital Economy Development Forum has evolved into a high-level, innovation-driven and collaboration-based communication platform aiming for mutual global success. MWC Barcelona 2026 is taking place from March 2 to March 5 in Barcelona, Spain, where Huawei is showcasing its latest products and solutions at booth 1H50 in Hall 1 of the Fira Gran Via. For more information, visit https://carrier.huawei.com/en/minisite/events/mwc2026/
David Wang, Huawei’s Executive Director of the Board, delivered the keynote address, focusing on crucial themes related to policies, infrastructure, and talent in the context of transforming visions into values for a smart future. He noted the explosive global growth of AI, emphasizing that AI agents are becoming increasingly central to economic discussions. According to IDC, AI is projected to contribute a remarkable $22.3 trillion to the global economy by 2030. This underscores a fundamental shift whereby the essence of the digital economy now pivots from mere themes of "connectivity plus data" to a new paradigm of "AI plus decision-making"—a transformation that is reshaping the global economic landscape and restructuring entire value chains.
Wang highlighted three key areas the global community must address to foster quality development in the digital economy. First, the world requires favorable industrial policies that thoroughly support the digital economy and encourage the comprehensive and parallel development of both digital and real economies. Second, a future-oriented infrastructure is essential; this infrastructure forms the bedrock for the widespread adoption of digital technologies and the digital revolution across industries. Third, a multi-layered, sustainable talent ecosystem is imperative, serving as a strategic pillar for the long-term, sustainable growth of the digital economy. At the conclusion of his address, Wang stated, "The era of AI has arrived, and Huawei will continue to collaborate with everyone to enable intelligent industries and establish a solid foundation for a smarter world. Let us jointly turn visions into values and shape our intelligent future."
During the keynote, attendees discussed the future of digital infrastructure. Joyce Liu, Huawei’s Director of ICT Marketing, pointed out that digital infrastructure is foundational for industrial advancement in the AI era. This necessitates accelerated development of infrastructure across various domains, including networks, energy, and computing power. Industry stakeholders must strive for network connections with latency measured in milliseconds to avoid information silos that could hinder AI development. Furthermore, constructing greener data centers swiftly will be essential to support computational power growth while reducing CO2 emissions.
Professor Rong Ke, Director of the Economic Sciences Institute at Tsinghua University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, stressed that data are a critical production factor in the AI age. He asserted that only through refining digital infrastructure throughout the processes of data generation, transmission, storage, and application can the world fully exploit the value of data.
The forum achieved a foundational consensus on significant topics surrounding the development of the digital economy, recognizing that countries are at different stages of digital economy progress. Therefore, they must formulate AI development strategies and implementation pathways that correspond with their unique contexts to effectively promote intelligent transformations.
Since its inception in 2023, the Huawei Digital Economy Development Forum has evolved into a high-level, innovation-driven and collaboration-based communication platform aiming for mutual global success. MWC Barcelona 2026 is taking place from March 2 to March 5 in Barcelona, Spain, where Huawei is showcasing its latest products and solutions at booth 1H50 in Hall 1 of the Fira Gran Via. For more information, visit https://carrier.huawei.com/en/minisite/events/mwc2026/
Topics Consumer Technology）
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