From technology to talent: Building a strong ecosystem for the digital age in Singapore

The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated the adoption of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Singapore, but that has left vulnerable groups even further behind in the digital era. Huawei firmly believes that technological advancement should benefit everyone, regardless of race, gender, or economic status.

No One Should Be Left Behind in Today’s Digital World

Over the past 20 years, Huawei has worked closely with local telecom operators to help Singapore build world-class network infrastructure. As new technologies mature, cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities will gradually be integrated into this infrastructure. 

Will individuals and businesses be able to keep up with the changes? How can we enable more Singaporeans to learn and deepen their digital skills? How do we help local businesses successfully digitally transform? And how can corporations play a part in helping Singapore to build a more resilient digital ecosystem? These are the questions that we at Huawei ask ourselves every day.

Accelerating Digital Transformation

When it comes to digital transformation, Huawei is committed to be the best possible partner for local businesses, including small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) as well as startups. Besides providing integrated ICT solutions and services to our customers, we also offer stable, reliable, secure, and sustainable cloud services to help local businesses go digital — and go global.

On the national level, Huawei has been working closely with the government to support the country’s Smart Nation Singapore goals, including the provision of high-quality and efficient public services to benefit all Singaporeans.

In today’s digital age, security and trust are both imperative. Huawei has always been committed to building secure and trusted digital products and services. It has joined the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore’s (CSA) SG Cyber Safe Partnership Programme, to act as an advocate to help businesses, organizations, and enterprises in Singapore strengthen their cybersecurity posture.

Building a Mutually Beneficial Digital Ecosystem

Success does not happen overnight. The health of a nation’s digital economy depends on ever stronger public-private collaboration, where industry players form and contribute to a robust and vibrant digital ecosystem. Huawei is already working with more than 200 local suppliers, helping to build up their digital capabilities.

In addition, Huawei has invested tens of millions of dollars to develop innovation labs in Singapore — including OpenLab, AI Lab, and DigiX Lab — in order to provide open development and testing platforms for industry partners, as well as jointly explore new industry innovations and applications to pave the way for the development of new ICT.

To have a sustainable digital economy, Singapore has been playing a proactive role in helping startups. Huawei launched its Huawei Spark accelerator programme to provide technical support and industry resources and capabilities to startups. It has attracted thousands of them from more than 90 countries and also partnered with more than 30 venture capitalists. We are happy to lend support to local startups with exciting potential — such as Scantist, UCARS, and AiDA Technologies — and will continue to help them explore opportunities to enter the Chinese market, the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, and the rest of the world.

Cultivating Local Talent

In any organization, talent is an important pillar of success and Huawei recognizes the importance of talent development. We are committed to nurturing the next generation of digital talent through various programmes, such as Seeds for the Future and the Huawei ICT Academy. 

We also provide on-the-job training, industry work attachments, and specialized courses for fresh graduates, as well as mid-career talent. We are committed to cultivating Singapore’s next cohort of trailblazers who are able to seize exciting opportunities regionally and globally.

At Huawei, we believe women are more than capable of driving technological innovation. We value and celebrate our female employees, who are already playing a unique role and making important contributions to the company. Indeed, many have distinguished themselves and become notable leaders, such as our Chief Security Researcher, Ms. Liu Fei, who was included in this year’s Singapore 100 Women in Tech (SG 100 WIT) list.

Working Together for a Sustainable Future

The pandemic has changed the ways we live and work. With the demand for ICT increasing rapidly, digitalization is destined to become an increasingly urgent issue. In this environment, Huawei will open more pathways for digital transformation, promote local innovation, and help Singapore to stay at the forefront of the digital world.

When it comes to tackling the global challenge of climate change, Huawei is already taking strong action, doing our part to build a sustainable future. By using digital and power electronics technologies, Huawei is committed to helping people and industries in Singapore benefit from clean solar energy, accelerating the transition to renewable energy. We look forward to working closely with more local partners and contributing to the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

Huawei Singapore’s success can, in large part, be credited to Singapore’s relentless pursuit of world-class excellence. 

We have always believed that working with the industry and local ecosystem is the best way to achieve our shared objectives. And while we continue to encounter fresh challenges posed by COVID-19, we look ahead with hope and confidence, eager to push the boundaries of innovation and make Singapore a hub of endless digital opportunities, with lasting sustainability and purposeful, real-world impact.

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