Europe can trust Huawei more than ever, says Ken Hu in Brussels

(Brussels, 2 Dec 2019) - “It is clear that the world currently has a serious trust problem and that it needs to work together to build more mutual understanding and manage differences,” Huawei Chairman & CEO Ken Hu commented at a leading conference in Brussels today.

“We need to break down the complicated problem into specific issues,” said Mr Hu. “Leave trade to trade, leave politics to politics, and technology to technology. If everything is mixed up, it's impossible to solve.”

Mr Hu was speaking this morning at the 10th FT-ETNO Summit in Brussels, entitled “Pioneering and Protecting: Looking Ahead to a New Decade”, which features a top cast examining political and societal attitudes towards technology, including the important themes of trust, responsibility and sustainable development.

“To find a solution, we need to work together,” he continued. “Because we live in a super-connected world, particularly in trade and technology. We need to build a mutual understanding of what trust means. We need transparency, shared standards, verification. Facts. All the conditions of trust. We need to figure out how to build shared interests while managing our differences. It's not going to happen overnight. So, we need to keep the conversation going.”

Digital Sovereignty

Huawei wants to help Europe achieve technological leadership while enabling it to achieve its Digital Sovereignty by safeguarding data protection and privacy rights and improving cybersecurity.

Huawei shares Europe’s vision of technology benefiting consumers and citizens. Since the company was founded 30 years ago, it has been working to bring digitalization and connectivity to all.

Now the world is on the cusp of a 4th industrial revolution driven by 5G technology, Artificial Intelligence and technological innovation – and Huawei is well placed to contribute to this huge change.

Huawei first started operating in Europe 20 years ago. During these two decades, it has

• created almost 170,000 jobs in Europe directly or indirectly
• reduced the urban-rural divide, and
• boosted Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem.

The company has 23 research facilities and partners with leading universities all over the continent.

Last year, Huawei contributed 12.8 billion euros to Europe’s GDP and 5.6 billion euros in tax.

Working with the new European Commission – as an established part of the European ecosystem and the world’s 5G leader – Huawei wants to help make Europe “fit for the Digital Age”.

Green 5G

5G technology, when applied everywhere, will bring great benefits to society, not least because 5G is Green. Not only is 5G much more energy efficient than previous generations of mobile communications technology - it uses just 10% of the electricity 4G needs to transmit the same amount of data - but it will also lead to solutions which will reduce CO2 emissions, helping governments meet their environmental targets as established by the Paris Agreement.

Europe clearly leads in the fight against climate change – and, thanks to its cutting-edge solutions, Huawei is already leading the way in the drive for a greener Europe. Huawei has pledged to slash per-connection carbon emissions by 80% by 2025. If achieved, this would make ICT one of the world's most energy-efficient industries.  

5G Truck

Huawei’s 5G truck is visiting Brussels on the occasion of the FT-ETNO conference. It is fitted with a live 5G network which journalists and conference-goers will be able to try out, using a range of Cloud PC, Gaming and VR/AR applications.

The company’s 5G experts will be available on-site throughout the day to discuss key questions surrounding 5G deployment and security, and to provide insights into Huawei’s contribution to making 5G happen in Europe.

PRESS CONTACTS

Yingying Li +32 470 779 011 yingyingli@huawei.com

Jakub Hera­ Adamowicz +32 499 641 839 jakub.hera.adamowicz@huawei.com

Philip Herd +32 491 165 509ePhilipherd@huawei.com

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains – telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services – Huawei is committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected, intelligent world.

Huawei's end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, Huawei creates lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes.

At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. Huawei invests heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. Huawei has more than 180,000 employees and operates in over 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

In Europe, Huawei currently employs over 12,000 employees and runs two regional offices and 23 R&D sites. So far, Huawei has established 230 technical cooperation projects and has partnered with over 150 universities across Europe.