The eighth edition of Huawei Connect opened its doors in Shanghai from September 20 to 22, marking a significant milestone as the first in-person event since the global health crisis.
This year, the spotlight is firmly on artificial intelligence (AI), reflecting Huawei’s strategic focus on the African continent. During the Huawei Northern Africa Night event on September 20, Terry HE, President of Huawei Northern Africa (North, West & Central Africa), revealed the company’s renewed strategy aimed at guiding Africa towards a “smart and connected future.”
Huawei‘s strategy, titled “Accelerate Intelligence for New Africa,” is not just a roadmap but a comprehensive blueprint for Africa’s digital and technological future. With 60% of the continent’s population aged 25 or younger, digitalization is emerging as a catalyst for growth in African nations. Additionally, Africa’s potential in green energy positions it advantageously in the AI era. Recognizing these strengths, Huawei’s new strategy focuses on integrating smart technologies, particularly AI, into critical sectors that influence daily life in Africa, including health, education, transportation, finance, agriculture, and mining.
The strategy is structured around three core action areas including accelerated intelligence to enhance inclusion, fastracking intelligence to enhance governmental management, and boosting intelligence to heighten operational efficiency.
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Investment for Intelligent Future
To support this ambitious strategy, Terry HE announced a significant investment plan called “Intelligent Future” for the Northern Africa region, encompassing the 28 countries located to the north of the equator within the African continent.
This grand five-year investment initiative totals $430 million and is allocated to three different projects. $200 million is to establish the region’s first public cloud center, offering over 200 cloud services. An additional $200 million to support 200 local software partners and empower 1,300 channel partners. The rest $30 million allocated to train 10,000 local developers and educate 100,000 digital professionals, creating a skilled workforce to drive intelligent transformation in the region.
Challenges and Commitment
Terry HE acknowledged the immense challenges and high stakes associated with this endeavor, stating, “Every technological evolution is characterized by perseverance, exploration, and investment.” He emphasized the critical importance of close collaboration among governments, businesses, educational institutions, and communities to realize these ambitions. In conclusion, he called for united action, stating, “Let’s join forces to usher in a smarter world in Africa and fulfill the aspirations of its people.”
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Huawei’s Commitment to Africa
For Huawei, Africa plays an essential part in its plans for future growth, which exemplifies the company’s persistent dedication to the digital transformation of the continent. The information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart gadgets that Huawei provides are among the most advanced on the worldwide market. Huawei is committed to extending digital connection to every person, house, and organisation for the purpose of achieving a fully connected and intelligent world by integrating solutions across telecommunications networks, information technology, smart devices, and cloud services.
Huawei’s end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions, and services is both competitive and secure. The corporation puts a significant amount of money into fundamental research, with a particular emphasis on the development of technical innovations that contribute to overall societal advancement. The Northern Africa area is home to 28 of Huawei’s facilities, despite the company having operations in more than 170 countries and being spread out over the African continent. Huawei is a privately held firm that was established in 1987 and is owned entirely by its workforce. The demands of consumers are what drive the firm’s dedication to innovation, and the company works in close collaboration with ecosystem partners to provide long-lasting value for customers as well as to empower individuals, improve life at home, and inspire creativity in businesses of all sizes and shapes.