Technological advancements are hyped and politicized, sometimes demonized: Huawei’s Senior Vice President

The “Connected for Shared Prosperity” Forum was held at Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel in Shanghai by Huawei, Global Mobile Association (GSMA), Center of Environmental Economics of Fudan University, and The Paper. Catherine Chen, Huawei’s Senior Vice President and Board Member, has delivered a keynote speech titled ‘Believe in the Power of Technology.’
Participants joined both online and in-person to discuss the value of digital technologies in sustainable development for a better, connected world, representing organizations worldwide, including international industry regulators, and think tanks from China, Malaysia, Spain, Thailand, Hungary, and Portugal. More than 1000 guests from over 50 countries attended the conference online.
Catherine Chen described how technology could be used as an engine for human progress. While calling on individuals and businesses to think big and act small, Chen reiterated her support of the UN’s sustainable development goals and building a green, innovative, and inclusive world.
She expressed, “We’ve all had mixed feelings about 2020. The pandemic has changed our lives. We took many things for granted that no longer exist, and our values have changed. My biggest takeaway from the past year has been just how hard it is for society to reach a consensus. There seems to be constant conflict and disagreement, from deciding if it’s necessary to impose lockdowns to debating if it’s worth it to wear a mask.”
She added, “Looking back over history, we’ve seen how large social changes happen in lockstep with breakthroughs in science and technology. But today, technological advancements are hyped and politicized, sometimes demonized. Many have stopped believing in technology’s power because of fear and distrust. Some are going to great lengths to hinder the development of technology.”
5G is a standardized technology defined by its high bandwidth, low latency, and broad connectivity. It helps traditional industries transform and can benefit all. Wide-scale 5G deployment can already be seen in multiple industries worldwide. Every-day, consumers benefit from 5G experiences, while industrial use in seaports, mines, and the transportation sector is increasing operational efficiency.
It may be hard to reach a consensus, but it is easy to shut down technology. For enterprises, believing in tech can start from something small.
Huawei has always supported technological advancement. They believe on tech benefits humanity. Alongside, the company also believes that digital tech will help the UN achieve its SDGs. Huawei has already explored many applications of digital tech guided by the SDGs.
Huawei’s Smart PV solution is being widely used in more than 60 countries to reduce carbon emissions by 148 million tons. This is the equivalent of planting more than 200 million trees. In Ethiopia alone, they have helped their customers deploy over 400 solar power stations, reducing carbon emissions by 2,850 tons. In China, the company has helped to build the world’s largest solar stations dedicated to agriculture and fishing in Ningxia and Shandong provinces.
Huawei and UNESCO have also launched the Open Schools program over a three-year partnership to help schools in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Ghana to improve their digital skills with online education.
Every one of these examples, every single connection, every gram of emissions reduced, every watt of electricity saved, every small improvement they have made couldn’t have been achieved without small advances in tech. This is the value tech brings to the world.