Huawei hosted Innovation Day 2023 in Paris, centering on “SME Innovation: Unlocking Europe’s Economic Future.” The event brought together innovators and business leaders from across Europe to discuss collaborative approaches that help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) grow and compete in the digital economy.
At the core of the event was the announcement of Huawei’s new Paris Innovation Center, designed as a collaborative platform to strengthen partnerships, accelerate joint innovation, and provide practical support to companies of all sizes. The centre will serve as a hub for testing, co-creation, and knowledge exchange between Huawei and its ecosystem partners.
Vicky Zhang, Huawei’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs, stressed the need for cooperation: “Only by working together can we build the healthy ecosystem to enable Europe’s economy to thrive.” Her remarks underlined the centre’s role in creating a supportive environment where SMEs can access tools, expertise, and market opportunities.
Huawei announced the Paris Innovation Center in partnership with SME collaborators such as HD Rain and Ubudu, highlighting its intent to support businesses at different stages of development and across multiple industries. Kenneth Fredriksen, SVP of Huawei Europe, reflected on Huawei’s own evolution: “Thirty years ago, Huawei was also a small company. Today, I am proud to announce that Huawei will be launching its Paris Innovation Center.”
Backed by an annual investment of more than €2 million, the Paris Innovation Center will give partners access to Huawei’s platform, which spans more than 80 industry scenarios. The centre aims to facilitate integration and verification activities, enable joint pilot projects, and offer professional resources that help bring innovative solutions to market faster.
The new centre expands on the work of Huawei’s Paris OpenLab, established in 2018, which has already supported over 200 partners through collaborative projects. By broadening and formalizing these capabilities, the Paris Innovation Center aims to deliver deeper, more sustained support for SMEs and encourage a thriving innovation ecosystem throughout the region.
Separately, at Huawei CONNECT 2023, the company reiterated its commitment to supporting Europe’s green and digital transition. Ken Hu, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman, praised Europe’s progress in digital adoption: “Europe is making incredible progress in digital transformation, and you are leading the global transition towards a greener future.”
Hu emphasized Huawei’s long-standing collaboration with European customers and partners: “Huawei has been working side-by-side with our European customers and partners for more than 20 years now. We’ve made great progress connecting people, empowering businesses, and building Europe’s digital ecosystem.”
Jim Lu, Huawei’s SVP and President for the European Region, outlined four pillars to support Europe’s green and digital transition: connectivity of everything, intelligent cloud, the principle of “bits manage watts” to improve energy efficiency, and open cooperation among industry players. These pillars are intended to guide joint efforts that combine digital innovation with sustainability goals.
As Huawei deepens its engagement with Europe through initiatives like the Paris Innovation Center and continued collaboration at industry events, the company positions itself as a partner in advancing innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation across the continent. The focus on SMEs underscores a strategy that aims to broaden participation in digital ecosystems and help smaller companies scale through access to technology, expertise, and collaborative projects.
See also: UK invests £36M in pioneering ‘5G Innovation Regions’