Huawei builds OpenLab in Malaysia to drive digital transformation in APAC

By Digital News Asia November 10, 2017

Built similar OpenLabs in Munich, Mexico, Dubai, Singapore, and China
Support cooperation between Huawei and over 400 solution partners globally

Huawei builds OpenLab in Malaysia to drive digital transformation in APAC

OVER 200 government officials, technology experts, scholars, and representatives from tech companies gathered on Nov 9 from across the Asia-Pacific for the third annual Huawei Asia-Pacific Innovation Day, held in Kuala Lumpur.

The event was co-hosted by Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the Malaysia-China Business Council, and Huawei Technologies.

This year's event focused on fostering the digital economy in the APAC region, with special focus on digital transformation models for emerging markets, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and core industries like services and tourism.

At the event, Huawei announced the construction of a new OpenLab in Malaysia, which will serve as an open, flexible, and secure platform for joint innovation with local partners.

Huawei has built similar OpenLabs in Munich, Mexico, Dubai, Singapore, and China. Together, these labs support extensive cooperation between Huawei and over 400 solution partners globally.

At the event, Huawei's deputy chairman of the Board and Rotating CEO, Guo Ping (pic), spoke about the different stages of digital transformation, and what countries can focus on at each stage of development.

"We've all heard about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs," said Guo.

"When a country goes digital, they experience a similar evolution of needs. I would divide this hierarchy into four layers.

“The first is ICT infrastructure, which is the foundation of a digital economy. The second is security, for both the physical and digital worlds. Security is necessary for further development. The third layer is developing a supportive environment for industries to go digital. Building on a solid foundation of privacy protection, the fourth and highest layer is enabling broader information sharing.

“More data will help cities and national governments better manage the digitisation process, ultimately promoting safer cities and smarter countries. "

Guo stressed that technological innovation and an open ecosystem are critical to the success of digital initiatives in the APAC region.

"We need to collaborate more broadly and share views across the ecosystem, including between industries and universities worldwide. Close collaboration between industry and academia will help ensure a thriving digital economy."

During the event, Huawei signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the SME Corporation Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Terengganu State Government, and CyberSecurity Malaysia, expanding cooperation across a number of domains, including scientific research, innovation, talent, smart campuses, and cyber security.

Since its debut in 2013, Huawei Innovation Day has been held in London, Milan, Munich, Paris, Singapore, and Sydney. More information can be found at: http://www.huawei.com/en/events/huawei-innovation-day-apac-2017