Paris, Huawei marked its Innovation Day 2023 in Paris with the theme ‘SME Innovation: Unlocking Europe’s Economic Future,’ bringing together European and global innovators to focus on collaborative growth for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). A highlight of the event was Huawei's announcement of the Paris Innovation Center, designed as a hub for fostering partnership and innovation.
According to Huawei, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Huawei, the event underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in building a robust ecosystem for Europe's economic prosperity. Emphasizing this theme, Huawei, in partnership with SMEs HD Rain and Ubudu, announced the opening of the Paris Innovation Center. Kenneth Fredriksen, Senior Vice President of Huawei Europe, reflected on Huawei's journey from a small company to a global technology leader and expressed pride in launching the Paris Innovation Center. The Center aims to support both established organizations and SMEs, offering a platform for partners to flourish.
Huawei plans to invest over €2 million annually in the Paris Innovation Center. The facility will extend its platform, which encompasses more than 80 industry scenarios, to its partners. The Center is set to enhance knowledge sharing, joint innovation, and provide resources for integration, verification, and go-to-market support. This initiative represents an advancement over Huawei’s Paris OpenLab, which has collaborated with over 200 partners since 2018.
The event also focused on the critical role of digitalization for SMEs. Horst Heitz, Chair of the SME Connect Steering Committee, highlighted the necessity of digital transformation for SMEs to remain competitive, particularly in adapting to the rapidly evolving European market. He stressed the need for full digitalization to enhance business structures, internal processes, and cyber resilience.
Industry leaders at the event advocated for increased collaboration to aid SME success. Julia Devos, Head of New Champions at the World Economic Forum, emphasized the role of SMEs as the economy's backbone and the key to a sustainable future. She called for creating a support system to prepare SMEs for future challenges and opportunities. François Mercier-Tigrine, Co-founder and Scientific Director of HD Rain, spoke about the vital role of SMEs, especially in deep tech, in transitioning technologies from research labs to industrialization. He cited Huawei's Digital InPulse program as an example of how large companies can assist SMEs in gaining market access and financial support.
The Paris Innovation Center represents Huawei’s commitment to fostering a collaborative environment that supports the growth and digital transformation of SMEs in Europe.