Inspiring the leaders of tomorrow during Huawei's DigitALL night in Paris

This year Huawei's DigitALL night took place at Palais du Congress, November 4th in Paris, France. Around 1000 students gathered to learn about how Huawei is enabling a digital future.

The night kicked off with Jacques Biot, Former President of Polytechnique who spoke about Huawei's potential to save the planet:

"Three challenges you will find on your desk in professional life ahead of you. And just like I used to urge my students to get prepared to tackle these issues, I encourage you to acquire the skills and master the science and technology which will allow to alleviate these threats"

Kevin Zhang, Huawei's CMO of Huawei ICT Business followed with this key message:

"Tech4All is here to help another 500 million people benefit from digital technology in the next five years. Digital Inclusion is a priority at Huawei and we are committed to build a technology that can be reached by everyone"

Sharing some insights about AI as a pillar for 5G on the night were Merouane Debbah, Director of the Mathematical and Algorithmic Sciences Lab at Huawei France Research Center and Gabriel Peyre, Research Director at CNRS & Ecole Normale Superieure

During the packed program, Huawei's West European VP of HR Wells Li said:

"We look for the unique value in people, then work with them in diverse ways. We accept and embrace imperfection, make fast-track promotion with bold assignments. We place people in the positions that match their skillset and experience to maximize their potential"

Before finishing the night with a great student debate on the AI's impact on the future and some giveaways for the students, I lead the panel discussion "Unlocking The Potential of Technology".

Together with Alex Doppia, CEO of Dali Paris, Valery Yakubovich, ESSEC University Professor and Weiliang Shi, President of Huawei France, we discussed how thanks to technology and innovation, exciting opportunities are coming. Both Alex and Valery shared insightful knowledge on the future of art, management and their connection with technology.

I was impressed by some of Weiliang Shi's insights both on/off stage, so I would like to share with you some of the questions and what he had to say, as he inspired the students with his views on technology and innovation, not just for France but Europe and at a global scale.

Elise: The young generation of today, as we know, are the leaders of tomorrow. How important is it for them to understand the value of education to have long term careers in the tech space and what is Huawei doing to help those young leaders?

Weiliang: Education is really important since it is the base, the foundations where they will build their careers. But I think it is even more important to keep studying during our whole career: technology and the world itself are changing and evolving every day, so we don’t only need to have strong foundations, but we need to continuously improve and train ourselves. This can be done on a daily basis, working with up-to-date technologies and with great and skilled colleagues. But it can be done also by having at our disposal a huge quantity of technical and non-technical training materials, 24/7 available for everyone. Or have the chance to get access to the most advanced certifications and training in our field. The good news is that Huawei can give us all of those training opportunities!

We believe the brightest minds can develop even brighter minds. You can achieve great things only when you join a great team. Huawei provides great opportunities and training to young leaders. Today, many global challenges remain to be solved. There are still many places that have no access to connectivity and artificial intelligence. Breakthroughs in technology are the key. At Huawei, we focus on your skills, not how long you've been with the company. Opportunities are open for every outstanding employee to advance quickly in any position.

Elise: Why is it important for companies and institutions to innovate and invest in modern technologies?

Weiliang: The economy might falter, and history may repeat itself, but technology is always moving forward. The accumulated scientific and technological achievements of history have enabled us to break down the barriers of distance and time. They have bought humanity to new heights. Eg. These days you can use your credit card or debit card just about anywhere. There’s even the technology to swipe credit cards using your cell phone! We have seen how the most advanced technologies can help people with disabilities, or anyone who drives a car, or a surgeon who can operate from thousands of kilometers far away from a patient who is everywhere in the world. By improving our technological development, we will also improve our lives, our health, and our happiness, as well as the inclusion and access to services for everyone, no matter where they live.

Huawei seizes the opportunities presented by new communications and information technologies, by maintaining a consistent focus on our core strategies. We invest heavily in strategic areas to make the breakthroughs. We do invest in technology for a fully connected intelligent world.

Elise: Art can be a great activator of innovation and Huawei has created great partnerships/collaborations on this field here in France. What is your vision for these collaborations?

Weiliang: In a competitive market, making the difference and offering the best products to our customers does not only involve technology: art is also a way to make our products unique, to add personality to great technology and to conquer a dominant positioning within the sector, being immediately recognized everywhere not only for what we made but also for how we made it.

 We have Paris Aesthetics Research Center which brings creative ideas to Huawei products, which include watches and mobile phones and integrate emerging technologies with aesthetics.

Elise: What advice do you have for organizations looking to make the most out of their innovation process?

Weiliang: I think the main issue is to see the innovation process like something pervasive and inclusive. It is not just about a component or a product. It is not just about the next release or a new feature. If we are able to see and live innovation like a lifestyle in the whole company, involving all the colleagues, the processes, the products and sharing with partners and clients, we are going to create a whole ecosystem of stakeholders and elements where each one innovates and improve the way it innovates according to the others. This will allow us not just to innovate in the short term, but to create the conditions for innovation to last in the future.

Elise: How can technology and new solutions in the market, such as AR inspire people to think about art in new ways?

Weiliang: I think that art is one of the best ways we have to understand how the past, the present and the future are all related and influenced by each other.

Technology, and of course AR, will play a key role in this regard, giving the chance to access the art to many more individuals in the world, and also giving them the opportunity to live art as an immersive, interactive and totally new way. A visit to a museum will become an unbelievable and unforgettable experience, where people can enjoy not only the pieces of art but harmonically melt them in a large set of feelings, sounds, even perfumes, why not!

Elise: As a last question, what is the 1 key takeaway you would like for people to remember when it comes to technology and innovation?

Weiliang: Our challenge, living in the technology era, is to make it possible for everyone to benefit of the most advanced technologies, no matter where they were born or which conditions or difficulties they are dealing with. If we are able to do this, then technology will make the world a better place, and we will be leading this new revolution and make technology available for every person, home and organization in the world.

As I said yesterday, "The Digital Society is here, and the time is now, for the leaders of tomorrow to develop and grow into the innovators of the future"

Huawei continues to have great leaders around the world, such as Huawei France President Weiliang Shi, a dynamic leader with a hardworking team behind him, who together continue to work on making access to technology to everybody possible.

DigitALL night provided great insights and I look forward to what they will do next.

It was an honor to be a part of the magic and help inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

Elise Quevedo