FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Giant Huawei is harnessing Thailand’s digital potential

Giant Huawei is harnessing Thailand’s digital potential

The recent establishment of Chinese tech giant Huawei’s Regional Headquarters (RHQ) in Bangkok is another signal that Thailand could become a truly digital hub for Southeast Asia.

Huawei’s first technology and innovation centre in Southeast Asia, the RHQ, includes a training centre and state-of-the-art customer experience centre, occupying over 4,000 square metres in central Bangkok. The RHQ will link with others of its kind as part of Huawei’s global network of innovative labs created to incubate ICT solutions. This level of global connectivity is a positive step towards Thailand’s digital future, and a real vote of confidence in the Thai market.
Huawei places great emphasis on research and development, allocating 14 per cent of its revenue and more than 70,000 or 45 per cent of its workforce to this area. I got a first-hand sense of the company’s innovative drive, its focus on developing the “Internet of things” and 5G technology, when I visited its global head office in Shenzhen in March. This commitment to R&D helps explain why Huawei has risen to become the world’s third-largest mobile phone maker in terms of unit shipments, after Apple and Samsung.
Huawei established its presence in Thailand almost 20 years ago and today employs 1,800 people here. Bangkok was chosen as the location for its newest RHQ for several reasons. Thailand’s aspiration to develop a digital economy was an important consideration, as was the country’s role as a gateway to the emerging markets of its neighbours. Thailand can also take pride in its selection as a sophisticated market populated by tech-savvy consumers. Thai consumers’ enthusiasm for innovation and new technologies positions Thailand as an ideal tech incubator, as does support from key government departments.
The government has made it clear that it is committed to cultivating Thailand’s digital potential. As such, Huawei benefited from the Thai government’s support in setting up the headquarters. To formalise its role in the development of Thailand as a digital hub, Huawei has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. This is an encouraging move, as Huawei’s role under the MoU is to share its international ICT experience with Thailand and to support sustainable economic growth through technology innovation.
Huawei’s next move is to begin construction of an Open Lab in Thailand in the second half of this year. This programme will aim to incubate small and medium enterprises and help develop Thailand into a digital economy hub. The establishment of Huawei’s RHQ and Open Lab should catalyse other companies to run their operations and develop their products and services out of Thailand. These will be exciting new steps on the road towards Thailand’s bright digital future.

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