Huawei Research found that each US$1 investment in ICT results in a US$8.3 return in a country’s digital economy
Huawei Connect 2024 kicked off its 3-day agenda in Shanghai yesterday. Themed ‘Amplify Intelligence’, the global event will explore how different industries can make the most of digital and AI technologies, with a focus on strategy, industry development, and ecosystems.
In the event’s opening keynote speech titled “Paving the Way for All Intelligence”, Huawei Deputy Chairman and Rotating Chairman Eric Xu spotlighted various vital topics related to industries and enterprises’ intelligent transformation. He also shared Huawei observations, thoughts, strategies, and experiences on AI becoming the most impactful technology for industries, envisioning the future of enterprises in the age of AI, Advancing Huawei’s All Intelligence Strategy, and much more.
David Wang, Huawei’s Executive Director of the Board and Chairman of the ICT Infrastructure Managing Board, delivered a keynote speech titled “Amplifying Industrial Digitalization and Intelligence”. Wang shared Huawei’s views on and experience in helping industries go digital and intelligent. He also announced the release of brand-new solutions for industrial intelligence to facilitate the deep integration of AI into industry scenarios.
Wang said, “Digital and intelligent transformation is picking up steam in all industries. And this progress is creating huge opportunities for everyone.”
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is currently being driven by digital and intelligent technologies and is expected to take productivity to new heights. Huawei has identified a four-step path that countries can follow when looking to go digital and intelligent, where each step builds upon the previous.
Wang pointed out that innovation would be key to addressing the challenges and opportunities created by this process and said that technological innovation would be needed to build robust infrastructure, scenario innovation would be required to help more people cross the digital chasm, and ecosystem innovation will be needed to create a bright future for all.
Release of the Global Digitalization Index and plan to cultivate digital and intelligent professionals for a shared digital economy
In 2014, Huawei released its first Global Connectivity Index (GCI) report. The GCI quantifies the value of connectivity and its impact on the digital economy.
Wang however noted that, with digitalization having a greater impact on the digital economy, Huawei and IDC decided to jointly develop a new Global Digitalization Index (GDI), which was also released at the event. Building on the GCI, the GDI factors in new indicators that look at digital infrastructure, including computing, storage, cloud, and green energy. It also quantifies the value of each country’s ICT industry and its impact on their national economy.
This research found that each US$1 investment in ICT results in a US$8.3 return in a country’s digital economy. Wang also said that the company will continue working on the GDI as intelligent applications see wider adoption, which will soon culminate in the Global Digitalization & Intelligence Index (GDII). The GDII will provide a reference for global digital economy development.
Wang also spoke about how Huawei has been working to provide tech-based, practice-oriented enablement training to various groups of people around the world. Huawei plans to nurture over 10 million digital and intelligent professionals by 2030 to build a fertile space where all digital and intelligent ecosystems can thrive. Wang explained that, through this, Huawei will contribute to industry prosperity and sustainable development.
At the event, Huawei also launched its Amplifying Industrial Digitalization and & Intelligence Practice White Paper, which contains 100 case studies from over 20 industries for customers to reference during their digital and intelligent transformation. Huawei also launched ten new digital and intelligent solutions for industries like public services, finance, transportation, manufacturing, electric power, mining, and oil and gas based on the reference architecture for intelligent transformation.
Huawei also held a forum on ‘Embracing Intelligence for a Thriving Digital Economy’. At the forum, Huawei released a set of reports on exploring the intelligent world, providing references for the development of the ICT industry. Guests joining the forum discussions included representatives from the United Nations, experts responsible for national digitalization strategies, international industry associations, and world-renowned analyst firms. Celebrating its partners’ success, Huawei held the Global Partner Roundtable and Global Partners’ Night, themed Grow Together, Win the Intelligent Era, on September 18, and presented the Huawei Outstanding Partner Awards 2024 to partners who have made outstanding contributions in different industries.
