Huawei's European Innovation Day 2024: Fostering Collaboration to Unlock Europe's Potential
Huawei's European Innovation Day 2024: Fostering Collaboration to Unlock Europe's Potential
On November 22, 2024, Huawei convened the European Innovation Day in Paris, where key technology leaders, business representatives, and innovation experts gathered to explore the power of cross-border and cross-sector collaboration. Emphasizing the theme of "Unleashing European Innovation Potential", the event served as a platform to discuss the crucial challenges surrounding Europe's digital transformation while presenting strategies to enhance regional ecosystems and global competitiveness.
Driving Digital Progress Through Collaboration
Opening discussions featured prominent figures like Jesús Contreras, COO of EIT Digital, who stated, "Innovation is never an individual task; it thrives on collaboration and exchange among all parties." This sentiment echoed the need for diverse global partners to ignite collaborative efforts. Nicola Caputo, the regional minister of Campania, Italy, addressed the barriers hindering Europe’s digital transition, including insufficient digital literacy, sluggish business adoption, and unequal access to 5G technology. He called on governments to strengthen cross-border cooperation to enhance Europe’s global position in the digital economy.
Ximo Puig, Spain's permanent representative to the OECD, reiterated that innovation should act as a collective framework for governments, businesses, and society to foster long-term development and create a fully connected world.
Laurent Lafforgue, a respected mathematician from Huawei Technologies France, emphasized that technological advancement relies heavily on strong theoretical foundations, asserting that robust theoretical research is key to achieving sustainable technological progress.
Huawei's Commitment to Long-Term Investment
Yu Liang, Vice President of Huawei Cloud Global Ecosystem, remarked, "Innovation is a long-term process." He reaffirmed Huawei’s dedication to open collaboration that generates both social and commercial value. Additionally, he announced a partnership with Station F to launch an incubation program focused on sustainability, with the goal of aiding 10 startups in sectors like retail, automotive, and industrial manufacturing to achieve rapid growth over a seven-month incubation period.
Accelerating Digital Transformation in Europe
During the forum titled "Driving Digital Transformation for Emerging Innovators in Europe", co-hosted by Euronews and Huawei, speakers underscored the need for intersectoral collaboration and open ecosystems. Notable attendees included Horst Heitz, chair of the SME Connect steering committee; Ana Paula Nishio de Sousa, director of digital transformation and artificial intelligence at the UN Industrial Development Organization; Alexander Pisemskiy, CEO of Zenpulsar; and Gaurav Tripathi, CTO of Partex NV. They collectively advocated for open data sharing platforms and collaborative ecosystems to foster a more inclusive and adaptable innovation environment.
Zhu Xiaoming, VP of Global Industrial Development at Huawei Cloud, asserted that Huawei would continue investing in Europe by providing reliable cloud infrastructure, collaborating with government agencies and universities to nurture digital talent, and supporting startups across different regions. However, he noted that Europe’s digital transformation is progressing slower than the goals set in the European Digital Decade 2030 plan, particularly concerning data and artificial intelligence advancements.
Promoting Inclusivity and Women Innovators
Berta Herrero, Head of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion for Huawei Europe, led a roundtable discussion focusing on empowering women innovators. Panelists, including Rebeca de Sancho Mayoral, senior advisor for innovation and financing access in the EU; Egle Ciuoderiene, founder of Duevo; and Iva Tasheva, co-founder and cybersecurity lead at CyEn, discussed EU financing initiatives aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs. They advocated for increased female participation in the technological innovation ecosystem to create a more inclusive and diverse environment.
A Call to Action
Concluding the event, Tony Yong Jin, Director of Corporate Environmental Affairs for Huawei in Europe, called on all stakeholders to take decisive action to drive digital innovation and build a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable Europe. He remarked, "Today, I urge all of us to embrace digital innovation, not only for its promises but for its profound impact on every individual, family, and community."
As Huawei continues to champion collaboration and innovation, the future of Europe's digital transformation appears to hold promise for more connected and inclusive growth.