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Huawei Hosts the 4th Forum for Digital Economy Development

In a pivotal gathering during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Huawei organized the 4th Forum for Digital Economy Development on March 5, 2026. This event brought together nearly 100 digital strategists, sector experts, and representatives from various industry associations across regions such as Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Together, they explored new opportunities for advancing the digital economy in the burgeoning era of artificial intelligence (AI).

David Wang, Huawei's Executive Director, took the stage to inaugurate the event with insights and practices surrounding key themes such as policies, infrastructure, and talent, all framed under the conference's central theme: "From Vision to Value for a Smart Future." Wang emphasized that the AI sector is currently experiencing explosive growth worldwide, with intelligent agents stepping into the spotlight. Furthermore, the integration of physical AI is accelerating. According to analysts from IDC, by 2030, AI is projected to add a staggering $22.3 trillion to the global economy. This forecast signifies that the digital economy has now transcended the old paradigm of "connectivity + data" and is evolving towards a model of "AI + decision-making."

Reflecting on Huawei's extensive experience in fostering the digital economy, Wang outlined three critical areas that must be addressed to achieve high-quality growth in the global digital economy:

1. Supportive Industrial Policies: There is a pressing need for favorable industrial policies that fully endorse the digital economy and facilitate the deep and coordinated development of both digital and real economies.

2. Future-Oriented Infrastructure: A robust infrastructure that is future-oriented is essential for the flourishing of the digital economy. Such infrastructure will establish a solid foundation for the broad-scale application of digital technologies and transformations across various sectors.

3. Sustainable Talent Ecosystems: A layered, sustainable talent ecosystem serves as a foundational strategic pillar for the long-term and sustainable development of the digital economy.

Wang concluded his speech by stating, "The era of AI has arrived. Huawei will continue to work with all of you to drive intelligent industries and lay the groundwork for a smart world. Let us transform vision into value and define our smart future together."

During the session of keynote speeches at the forum, participants converged to explore the future construction of digital infrastructure. Joyce Liu, the Director of Huawei's Communications Operations Department, underscored that digital infrastructure is crucial for industrial development in the AI era. Liu specified that infrastructure construction must advance across all fronts, including networks, energy, and processing power. This improvement will necessitate that industry actors establish low-latency network connections as soon as possible to prevent information silos from hindering AI development. Accelerating the establishment of eco-friendly data centers is also pivotal to enhance computing capabilities while reducing carbon emissions.

Professor Rong Ke, Director of the Economy Institute at Tsinghua University's Social Sciences Faculty, expressed in his speech that data serves as an essential production factor in the AI era. Only by perfecting digital infrastructure throughout the entire lifecycle of data generation, transfer, storage, and application can the full value of data be harnessed globally.

A consensus emerged from the forum regarding critical themes surrounding the development of the digital economy. It become evident that countries are at various stages of digital economy development and must formulate AI development strategies that align with their unique circumstances to effectively promote smart transformation.

Since its inception in 2023, Huawei's Digital Economy Development Forum has gradually evolved into a high-level communication platform centered on collaboration and innovation to enable shared global success.

The MWC Barcelona 2026, held from March 2 to 5, spotlighted Huawei's latest products and solutions at booth 1H50 in Fira Gran Vía. For additional information, visit Huawei's event page.