At the Huawei ICT Sustainability Roundtable held during the MWC Barcelona 2025, Huawei urged policymakers and industry stakeholders in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector to enhance open innovation and collaboration to prevent a new digital divide from emerging due to rapid advancements in AI in recent years.
During his opening speech, Huawei’s rotating chairman, Ken Hu, emphasized the role of digital technologies and partnerships in driving sustainable change for people and the planet, citing examples from Huawei’s TECH4ALL program. Hu stressed the need for governments and the ICT industry to expand collaboration platforms to ensure no one is left behind in the digital world.
“As AI makes the world smarter, we are likely to see a new digital divide. We need to pay attention to this and work together to close the gap,” said Ken Hu, Huawei’s rotating chairman. “We need policymakers to create more inclusive institutional frameworks and for more tech companies to adopt open innovation. We need to work together to build more open platforms for collaboration.”
To explore how this is being addressed 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 necessary skills to embrace the digital world.
Representing the government of Kenya, Engineer John Tanui CBS highlighted how working with partners like Huawei aligns with Kenya’s Vision 2030 by driving digital economic development through digital infrastructure deployment, 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 to nearly 6,000 young Kenyans since 2019.
“In Kenya, we believe that no one should be left behind. That’s why Huawei is a strategic partner in enhancing digital skills through initiatives like TECH4ALL, which we leverage to drive digital inclusion,” said Engineer John Tanui CBS, Principal Secretary of Kenya’s Department of ICT and Digital Economy. “With mobile DigiTrucks, we have been able to train young people on smartphone functionality, online risks, responsible internet usage, and protection of online accounts and resources for learning.”
The 2024 DigiTruck Digital Literacy Skills Program Evaluation Report published by the Kenyan government shows that 93% of DigiTruck learners improved their employability skills through training. The report also indicates higher employment rates among former learners, along with significantly increased internet usage for business activities such as e-commerce. The project partner for Kenya’s DigiTruck, GSMA, also highlighted the value of DigiTruck mobility in reaching extremely remote communities.
The Universal Service Fund of Pakistan (USF) explored how collaboration with the government of Pakistan, Huawei, and ITU-D is transforming rural villages through projects like TECH4ALL Smart Village Pakistan, which bring connectivity initiatives, e-learning, e-health, and digital skills training to local communities. UNESCO and the University of Alicante in Spain focused on global digital skills development, including collaboration with the Huawei ICT Academy to develop the next generation of ICT talents.
In the field of nature conservation, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) presented how ICT is redefining nature conservation through the global IUCN-Huawei TECH4ALL Tech4Nature alliance, which has supported 13 flagship projects in 11 countries with innovative technological solutions for protected areas.
A common theme among all projects discussed at the roundtable is the emphasis on technological innovation and cross-sector partnerships, a critical approach to harnessing 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. Through innovative technologies and partnerships, TECH4ALL aims to enable inclusion and sustainability in the digital world.
Visit the Huawei TECH4ALL website at https://www.huawei.com/en/tech4all
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In conclusion, the Huawei ICT Sustainability Roundtable highlighted the importance of collaboration and innovation in bridging the digital divide and fostering a more inclusive and sustainable digital world. Through projects like TECH4ALL, partnerships with governments, organizations, and academia are driving digital skills development, connectivity initiatives, and nature conservation efforts. By working together and embracing technological advancements, we can ensure that no one is left behind in the digital age.
