Huawei Calls to Expand Open Innovation and Collaboration to Prevent New Digital Divide
In his opening address, Huawei Rotating Chairman Ken Hu emphasized that digital technologies and partnerships are helping to drive sustainable change for people and the planet, citing examples from Huawei's TECH4ALL program. Nevertheless, Hu stressed that governments and the ICT industry must expand collaborative platforms to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital world.
'As AI makes the world more intelligent, we are likely to see a new digital divide. We need to pay attention to this and work together to bridge the gap,' said Ken Hu, Rotating Chairman for Huawei. 'We need policymakers to build more inclusive institutional frameworks and more tech companies to embrace open innovation. We need to work together to build more open platforms for collaboration.'
To explore how this is being approached in practice, the ICT Sustainability Roundtable brought together global experts and Huawei TECH4ALL partners to showcase how collaborative digital inclusion projects can equip underserved communities with the skills needed to embrace the digital world.
Representing the Kenyan government, Eng. John Tanui CBS emphasized how working with partners such as Huawei align with Kenya Vision 2030 by driving digital economic development through digital infrastructure rollout, digitized government services, and digital skills training for remote and rural communities.
For example, the Huawei TECH4ALL DigiTruck - a mobile classroom mounted on the back of a truck - has provided training for nearly 6,000 Kenyan youth since 2019.
'In Kenya, we believe no one should be left behind. That's why Huawei is a strategic partner in upscaling digital skills through initiatives like TECH4ALL, which we leverage to drive digital inclusion,' said Eng John Tanui CBS, Principal Secretary for the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy for Kenya. 'With mobile DigiTrucks, we have been able to train young people on smartphone functionality, online risks, responsible Internet use, and securing online accounts and resources for learning.'
The 2024 DigiTruck Digital Literacy Skills Program Evaluation Report released by the Kenyan government shows that 93% of DigiTruck trainees improved their work capabilities due to the training. The report also reveals higher employment rates among former trainees, alongside significantly increased Internet use for business activities such as e-commerce. Kenya DigiTruck project partner GSMA also highlighted the value of the DigiTruck's mobility in reaching extremely remote communities.
Universal Service Fund Pakistan (USF) explored how collaboration with the Pakistani government, Huawei, and ITU-D is transforming rural villages through TECH4ALL Smart Village Pakistan projects, which bring connectivity, e-education, and e-health initiatives to local communities coupled with digital skills training. UNESCO and Spain's University of Alicante focused on global digital skills development, including collaboration with Huawei ICT Academy to develop the next generation of ICT talent.
In the area of nature conservation, International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) introduced how ICT is redefining nature conservation through the IUCN-Huawei TECH4ALL Tech4Nature global partnership, which has supported 13 flagship projects in 11 countries with innovative tech solutions for protected areas.
A commonality among all of the projects explored at the roundtable is the emphasis on technological innovation and cross-sector partnerships, an approach that is crucial for leveraging the power of ICT to enable an inclusive and sustainable digital world.
About TECH4ALL
TECH4ALL is Huawei's long-term digital inclusion initiative and action plan. Enabled by innovative technologies and partnerships, TECH4ALL is designed to enable inclusion and sustainability in the digital world.
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