Huawei Champions Collaborative Innovation at Europe Innovation Day 2024 in Paris

Driving Digital Innovation in Europe

On November 24, 2024, Paris played host to the Europe Innovation Day 2024, a pivotal event organized by Huawei that brought together technological leaders, business representatives, and innovation experts. This year's theme, "Unleashing the Potential of European Innovation," focused on identifying cross-border and cross-sector collaboration opportunities while tackling the pressing challenges of digital transformation faced by Europe. The discussions highlighted the need for robust strategies to strengthen regional ecosystems and enhance global competitiveness.

Collaborative Efforts to Drive Digital Progress

Keynote speaker Jesus Contreras, Chief Operations and Financial Officer at EIT Digital, articulated a powerful message: "Innovation is never a solo endeavor. It relies on collaboration and exchange among all parties involved." He emphasized how digital innovation thrives when global partners with differing perspectives join forces, injecting energy and momentum into collective efforts.

Nicola Caputo, the regional minister of Campania in Italy, joined the dialogue, pointing out the obstacles Europe encounters during its digital transformation, such as lack of digital literacy, slow commercial adoption, and significant disparities in 5G coverage. He urged that governments strengthen cross-border collaboration to enhance Europe’s competitiveness in the digital economy.

Contributing to this narrative, Ximo Puig, the permanent representative of Spain to the OECD, remarked, "Innovation is fundamentally a framework. Governments, businesses, and society should utilize this framework to foster long-term development and build a fully connected world." Similarly, Laurent Lafforgue, a renowned mathematician at Huawei Technologies France, underscored the need for a solid theoretical foundation to achieve sustainable technological advancement. He stated, "Robust theoretical research is essential for realizing sustainable and consistent technological progress."

Yu Liang, Vice President of Huawei Cloud Global Ecosystem, reiterated Huawei’s commitment to long-term investments. He asserted, "Innovation is a long-term process," reinforcing Huawei’s dedication to fostering open collaboration that benefits society while generating commercial gains. In this spirit, he disclosed Huawei’s partnership with Station F to launch a sustainability-focused development program aimed at supporting 10 startups in sectors including retail, automotive, and industrial production, all in pursuit of rapid growth within a seven-month incubation period.

A Bright Future for Europe's Digital Transformation

At the forum titled "Driving Digital Transformation for Europe's Emerging Innovators," organized by Euronews and Huawei, participants emphasized the necessity for cross-sector collaboration and open ecosystems. Distinguished speakers included Horst Heitz, chair of the SME Connect steering group; Ana Paula Nishio de Sousa, director of Digital Transformation and AI at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization; Alexander Pisemskiy, CEO of Zenpulsar; and Gaurav Tripathi, CTO of Partex NV. Their shared insights shed light on the urgent need for open platforms to facilitate data sharing and foster collaborative ecosystems cultivating innovation in a more inclusive and flexible environment.

Zhu Xiaoming, Vice President of Huawei Cloud Global Industry Development, stated, "Huawei Cloud will continue to invest in Europe by providing stable and reliable cloud infrastructure, collaborating with government bodies and universities to promote digital talent, and supporting startups in their expansion into various regions." He noted that Europe’s digital transformation is lagging behind the established goals of the Europe Digital Decade 2030 initiative, particularly in fields like data and artificial intelligence.

Championing Female Innovators

An engaging panel discussion led by Berta Herrero, head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Huawei Europe, focused on empowering female innovators. Panelists included Rebeca de Sancho Mayoral, senior advisor for innovation and access to finance at the European Commission; Egle Ciuoderiene, founder of Duevo; Iva Tasheva, co-founder and head of Cybersecurity at CyEn; and Gaia Verzelli, a graduate from Huawei’s Women Leadership School. They shared valuable insights on EU funding and policy initiatives aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs, advocating for increased participation of women in the technological innovation ecosystem to foster an inclusive and diverse environment.

Call to Action

As the event drew to a close, Tony Yong Jin, director of Business Environment Affairs for Huawei in Europe, rallied participants to take resolute action to propel digital innovation. He stated, "Today, I urge us all to embrace digital innovation—not just for the opportunities it presents, but for the profound impact it will have on each individual, every family, and our communities."

This landmark event exemplified Huawei's commitment to catalyzing digital transformation and collaboration across Europe, underscoring the vital importance of partnerships in navigating the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.