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Driving Innovation Through Openness: Huawei's 6th Innovation and IP Forum

On November 11, 2025, Huawei hosted its sixth Innovation and Intellectual Property (IP) Forum in Beijing, uniting experts from around the globe to discuss the critical roles of openness and IP protection in fostering innovation and societal progress. This event marked a pivotal moment for the tech giant, known for its commitment to advancing technology through collaborative efforts and robust intellectual property strategies.

Unveiling the Top Innovations

During the forum, Huawei announced the recipients of its biannual “Top Ten Inventions” award, showcasing groundbreaking technological advancements across various sectors. These innovations are integral to future business operations, particularly in computing, storage solutions, and the company’s HarmonyOS operating system.

Huawei's Chief Legal Officer, Liuping Song, opened the event with a powerful message highlighting the company's philosophy: "Open innovation drives society and technology forward, and it's in our DNA. We are committed to an open approach to innovation." This commitment to openness is not just a corporate policy for Huawei; it's a core value that influences its engagement with intellectual property, aiming to respect and protect the rights of others while securing its innovations through patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

Global Leadership in IP

The forum underscored Huawei's role as a leading user of global IP services, as noted by Marco Alemán, Assistant Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). With an impressive 6,600 published Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in 2024, Huawei has maintained its position as the top PCT system user since 2014. The event witnessed a dialogue about how IP serves as a universal language that translates innovation and creativity into tangible value, reinforcing its necessity in driving global economic growth.

Ningling Wang, President-elect of the Licensing Executives Society International, referenced the importance of collaboration among industry leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs in reducing innovation barriers and advocating for responsible licensing practices.

Significance of OpenSource Contributions

A pivotal point of discussion was Huawei's dedication to sharing technology through open-source software and active participation in standard contributions. In 2024, Huawei published a record 37,000 patents, along with more than 10,000 technical contributions to standards organizations, highlighting its proactive role in shaping tech standards globally. The forum also showcased the growth of the OpenHarmony initiative, with contributions exceeding 10 million lines of code from over 8,100 community contributors.

Furthermore, Huawei's influence is apparent not only in patent publications but also through its licensing agreements. By the end of 2024, over 2.7 billion 5G devices, 1.2 billion consumer electronics, and 3.2 billion multimedia devices were licensed under Huawei patents, indicating a deep integration of its technology into the global market.

Future Developments

Addressing the forum, Heiwai Tang, Associate Vice-President of the University of Hong Kong, acknowledged the significance of a robust and globally-trusted patent system for fostering an environment conducive to innovation. He stated, "I'm pleased to see companies like Huawei adhering to international IP norms, which maximizes the value of IP while fostering a healthy business ecosystem." This sentiment resonates with Huawei's ongoing initiatives to promote open innovation, such as the Chaspark Patent site launched in June 2024, providing a platform for researchers worldwide to access patent information without cost barriers.

Conclusion

The forum concluded with a commitment from Huawei to create a nurturing environment for innovation while collaborating with industry partners to promote effective IP protection. As the tech landscape continues to evolve, Huawei's efforts in encouraging innovation through openness serve as a promising model for sustaining technological advancement and driving economic growth in a globally interconnected world. With a focus on collaboration and knowledge sharing, Huawei is paving the way for a future where innovation flourishes alongside robust intellectual property practices.