Huawei hosted the 2024 “Europe Innovation Day” in Paris, bringing together European tech leaders, business representatives, and innovation experts to discuss opportunities for cross-border and cross-industry collaboration. This year's theme, “Unleashing the Potential of European Innovation,” addressed the critical challenges facing Europe’s digital transformation and proposed strategies for strengthening regional ecosystems and enhancing global competitiveness.

Driving Europe's Digital Progress Through Cooperation

Jesus Contreras, Chief Operations and Financial Officer of EIT Digital, stated, “Innovation is never a solo endeavor; it relies on collaboration and exchange among all parties.” He emphasized that digital innovation thrives when global partners and customers with diverse perspectives unite.

Nicola Caputo, Regional Minister of Campania (Italy) and Member of the European Committee of the Regions, highlighted the challenges Europe faces in its digital transformation, including insufficient digital literacy, lagging commercial adoption, and uneven 5G coverage. He urged governments to enhance cross-border cooperation to improve Europe’s global competitiveness.

Ximo Puig, Spain's Permanent Representative to the OECD, noted, “Innovation is essentially a framework. Governments, businesses, and society must leverage this framework to collectively foster long-term development and build a fully connected world.” Laurent Lafforgue, a renowned mathematician at Huawei Technologies France, added, “The rapid advancement of technological innovation relies on solid foundational theories. Robust theoretical research is essential to achieving sustainable and long-term technological progress.”

Huawei's Commitment to Long-Term Investment

Yu Liang, Vice President of Huawei Cloud Global Ecosystem, remarked, “Innovation is a long-term process.” He confirmed Huawei's commitment to promoting open collaboration that generates societal and commercial value. Yu announced a partnership with Station F to start an incubation program focused on sustainability, aimed at supporting 10 startups in various sectors, including retail and automotive, within a seven-month incubation period.

Advancing Digital Transformation and Building Europe's Future

During the “Driving Digital Transformation for Europe's Emerging Innovators” forum, co-hosted by Euronews and Huawei, participants stressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration and open ecosystems. Key speakers included Horst Heitz, Chair of SME Connect Steering Committee; Ana Paula Nishio de Sousa, Director of Digital Transformation & AI at the UN Industrial Development Organization; Alexander Pisemskiy, CEO of Zenpulsar; and Gaurav Tripathi, CTO of Partex NV. They highlighted the necessity of developing open data-sharing platforms to promote a more inclusive innovation environment.

Zhu Xiaoming, Vice President of Huawei Cloud Global Industry Development, stated, “Huawei Cloud will continue to invest in Europe by delivering stable and reliable cloud infrastructure, working with government agencies and universities to cultivate digital talent, and supporting startups to scale across regions.” He noted that Europe's digital transformation is progressing slower than the goals outlined in the Europe Digital Decade 2030 plan, particularly regarding data and artificial intelligence.

Promoting Inclusivity and Women Innovators

Berta Herrero, Head of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion at Huawei Europe, led a panel discussing the empowerment of women innovators. Panelists included Rebeca de Sancho Mayoral, Senior Adviser on EU Innovation & Access to Finance at the European Commission; Egle Ciuoderiene, Founder of Duevo; Iva Tasheva, Co-Founder and Cybersecurity Lead at CyEn; and Gaia Verzelli, alumna of Huawei's Women Leadership School. They shared insights on EU funding and policy initiatives aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs and emphasized the need for greater female participation in technology innovation.

A Call to Action

Closing the event, Tony Yong Jin, Director of Business Environment Affairs of the European Region at Huawei, called for unified action to advance digital innovation and construct a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable Europe. He stated, “Today, I call on all of us to embrace digital innovation—not just because of its promises, but because of its profound impact on every individual, family, and community.”