Why Open Innovation in Europe Means High Quality
Huawei supports open innovation and actions that back open scientific activities in Europe and across the length and breadth of the world. Programmes such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe are open by nature. This is the right approach, because it will ensure that the best scientists across the world can and will work together in common cause to translate scientific effort into solutions for society. Science initiatives that are open will speed up the process of innovation. We are living through digital transformation where ICT solutions are now modernizing different economic sectors across society and in a very speedy manner.
The EU and China work on many common research initiatives including within the areas of urbanisation, agriculture, transport, aviation, and health. The ICT sector underpins much of the collaborative actions within these policy spheres, an approach that’s enshrined within the framework agreements that the EU has with China that cover the science and technology sectors. Moreover, the EU Joint Research Centre has an MOU with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to work together on scientific advancement covering the transport, environment and agriculture sectors. The EU and China also has an innovation dialogue in place that is promoting higher levels of co-operation between the public and private sectors within the innovation policy space.
China is now spending 2.5% of its GDP on research and development activities. This ensures that Chinese scientists can support global research measures that are successfully tackling the grand challenges that society faces today. Programmes such the EU-China mechanism for research and innovation, which is administered by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, are ensuring higher levels of involvement from EU scientists in Chinese-led research schemes. The European Commission sponsored the Enrich initiative is also promoting higher levels of collaborative engagement between the EU and Chinese researchers and business innovators alike.
Huawei is an EU company. Huawei is deeply embedded within the ICT research ecosystem. The company set up our first research centre in Sweden in 2000.

Huawei has 230 technology partnerships with EU research institutes and collaborative arrangements with over 150 universities in Europe.
Europe has great expertise and capabilities within the software engineering arena. Huawei ranks fifth in the 2019 European Commission Industrial Scoreboard for R&D. Huawei has been an active participant in both FP7 and in Horizon 2020.
We’re in a strong position to implement the policy goals of the European Union. International collaboration is a vital component within the research strategic space, so as to ensure that EU policy objectives are fully implemented. Huawei wants to actively enable EU research and innovation actions under Horizon Europe and in particular in areas that will focus on the development of smart networks and services and the key digital technologies of the future.
Moreover, there must be a stronger emphasis on green and environmental research at the basic and applied levels of scientific engagement. This will ensure that climate action targets will be reached and that the UN Sustainable Development Goals will be fully implemented.
Further Reading:
- To a Digital Decade & Beyond [article]
- AI in the EU: Balancing Benefit & Control [article]
- Thinking Green & Digital: European Vocational Skills Week 2020 [article & video]
- Tech for a Better Planet [minisite]

Disclaimer: Any views and/or opinions expressed in this post by individual authors or contributors are their personal views and/or opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of Huawei Technologies.