Huawei Hosts the 4th Digital Economy Development Forum at MWC Barcelona 2026

Huawei's 4th Digital Economy Development Forum at MWC Barcelona 2026

During the 2026 Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Huawei conducted the 4th Digital Economy Development Forum, attracting around 100 key decision-makers in digital strategy, industry experts, and representatives from various sector organizations. These attendees hailed from diverse regions, including the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

The forum focused on uncovering new opportunities for the growth of the digital economy in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). David Wang, Huawei's Executive Director of the Board, opened the event with critical insights and discussions surrounding essential topics such as policy frameworks, infrastructure requirements, and the necessity of talent development, all centered on the theme: "From Vision to Value for an Intelligent Future."

Wang emphasized the explosive growth of AI, noting that AI agents are becoming increasingly pivotal in various sectors. The implementation of physical AI technologies is on a rapid increase, with predictions from IDC forecasting AI will contribute a staggering $22.3 trillion to the global economy by 2030. This marks a significant shift, indicating that the digital economy is evolving beyond mere "connectivity + data" models, now pivoting towards "AI + decision-making" frameworks.

In his address, Wang highlighted three critical areas that need focus for fostering the high-quality development of the global digital economy:

1. Supportive Sector Policies: Wang stated that a conducive and comprehensive sector policy is essential to fully support the digital economy, encouraging the simultaneous evolution of both the digital and physical economies.

2. Future-oriented Infrastructure: He called for a robust infrastructure that can support the digital economy’s prosperity, serving as a foundational element for the widespread application of digital technologies and transformations across various sectors.

3. Sustainable Talent Ecosystem: Lastly, Wang asserted the need for a layered and sustainable talent ecosystem, which he views as a pivotal strategic pillar for the long-term viability of the digital economy.

Concluding his speech, Wang reiterated that "the era of AI has arrived," reaffirming Huawei's commitment to collaborating with partners to enable intelligent sectors and build a robust foundation for an intelligent world. He urged attendees to work together to convert their vision into value and shape the future of intelligence collaboratively.

The event included keynote addresses emphasizing the future prospects of digital infrastructure, with participants actively engaging in discussions to explore advancements in the field. Joyce Liu, Director of ICT Marketing Operations at Huawei, articulated that digital infrastructure is fundamental for industrial development in the context of AI. She stressed the importance of accelerating infrastructure development across various sectors such as networking, energy, and computing capacity. Such measures are critical for establishing low-latency network connections to ensure that information silos do not hamper AI development. Additionally, there is a pressing need to expedite the construction of green data centers, which will help bolster computational growth while reducing carbon emissions.

Moreover, Professor Rong Ke from the Institute of Economics at Tsinghua University addressed the importance of data as a vital production factor in the AI era. He pointed out that by refining digital infrastructure throughout the entire data lifecycle—covering generation, transfer, storage, and application—global entities can fully harness the value of data.

The forum reached widespread consensus on pivotal topics related to digital economic development. Countries are at different levels in their respective digital economy journeys, prompting them to form AI development strategies and implementation roadmaps tailored to their specific circumstances for effectively promoting intelligent transformation.

Since its inception in 2023, Huawei's Digital Economy Development Forum has steadily evolved into a high-level, collaborative communication platform driven by innovation and focused on shared success worldwide. The MWC Barcelona 2026 event ran from March 2 to 5, where Huawei also showcased its latest products and solutions at booth 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1.