Shaping the Future: The Rise of Industrial Intelligence at GITEX 2024

Set against Dubai’s iconic skyline, GITEX 2024, held from October 14 to 18, marked a pivotal moment in the world of industrial digitalization and intelligence. This year’s edition drew over 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, and 1,200 investors, alongside representatives from governments in more than 180 countries, making it the largest and most globally diverse iteration of the event to date.

As the world’s largest tech exhibition, GITEX provided a dynamic platform for industry leaders, innovators, and visionaries to explore transformative technologies. The event fostered an exchange of ideas and showcased advancements across industries, highlighting how AI, 5G-A, and cloud computing are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

This year, Huawei, embraced the theme “Accelerate Industrial Digitalization and Intelligence,” underscoring the company’s commitment to driving smarter, more efficient operations through cutting-edge technologies. With the Fourth Industrial Revolution underway, Huawei’s theme focused on how intelligence and connectivity reshape industries such as finance, public utilities, energy,? transportation, and manufacturing.

A key highlight of the event was a summit dedicated to this very theme. Li Peng, Corporate Senior Vice President, President of ICT Sales & Service, Huawei, delivered opening remarks at the summit. "We're combining our strengths in networking, storage, computing, cloud, and energy," said Li, "and we're working with partners to build new digital and intelligent infrastructure."

Besides, Leo Chen, Corporate Senior Vice President and President of Enterprise Sales, Huawei elaborated on the profound impact of intelligent technologies. He highlighted how industries far beyond the tech sector are embracing AI, cloud, and big data to revolutionize their operations. However, Chen was clear that technology alone isn’t enough. Full-scale transformation requires a rethinking of infrastructure, a greater focus on talent development, and cross-sector collaboration to truly unlock the potential of digital and intelligent transformation.

Chen’s remarks reflected Huawei’s broader vision of empowering industries to navigate the complexities of this digital age. Through partnerships, innovative solutions, and a strong emphasis on talent development, Huawei is driving a global shift toward industrial intelligence. This approach ensures that businesses are not only equipped to face the future but are also able to thrive in an era of rapid technological advancement.

Breaking Barriers to Industrial Transformation

While the potential of industrial intelligence is immense, Chen acknowledged the challenges ahead. Currently, fewer than 50% of devices worldwide are connected, and AI adoption remains low, with penetration still under 12%. He emphasized that these gaps in infrastructure, talent ecosystems, and policy must be addressed to enable industries to fully harness the power of digitalization.

To bridge these gaps, Huawei introduced several innovations designed to create AI-ready infrastructure. This includes the industry's highest-performance Wi-Fi 7, the industry's first 800GE AI router, and the industry's first all-optical data centre switch. These advancements are set to redefine what’s possible, from enabling factories to predict maintenance needs to helping cities manage traffic flow more efficiently.

Transforming Industries, One Step at a Time

The summit also underscored that industrial transformation is a journey. Li Peng, Senior Vice President of ICT Sales & Service, Huawei, shared compelling success stories from around the world, illustrating how industries are leveraging technology to drive real change.?

Huawei's "One Cloud, One Network" solution has helped 33 Middle Eastern and African countries build inclusive connectivity, covering over 1,000 government agencies. Both service efficiency and satisfaction have greatly improved.

Another exmaple is Cote d’Ivoire. Huawei helped the Ministry of Transportation build a traffic analysis platform using our Intelligent Transportation System. As a result, road safety risks are lower and traffic flow has improved by more than 10%.

Across the globe, industries are embracing digitalization to boost efficiency, cut costs, and enhance customer experiences. Peng emphasized that collaboration is critical to success. Whether it’s working digitise public services or partnering with industries partners to build tailored solutions, the future of industrial intelligence lies in bridging the gap between sectors.

Empowering Collaboration and Cultivating Talent

A key pillar of Huawei’s strategy is fostering partnerships. In today’s complex industrial landscape, no single entity can drive transformation alone. This is why Huawei has built the SHAPE framework, a collaborative model designed to support innovation through joint ventures with over 47,000 global partners. By creating 14 OpenLabs across regions, Huawei enables local industries to develop digital solutions tailored to their specific needs.

However, none of this transformation can happen without the right talent. As industries shift toward intelligence, the demand for skilled professionals capable of managing and implementing advanced technologies is growing. Huawei’s goal is to train over 10 million new ICT professionals by 2030, equipping the next generation of engineers, data scientists, and AI specialists to drive the future of the industry.

Building the ICT Infrastructure for a Connected Future

At the summit, David Shi, Vice President of ICT Marketing and Solution Sales at Huawei, emphasized the critical role of building robust ICT infrastructure as the foundation for intelligent transformation. Shi highlighted two key aspects: accelerating the popularization of ICT infrastructure and accelerating monetization. Huawei’s strategy focuses on making ICT infrastructure more accessible and easier to integrate into industries, from campuses to data centers. By simplifying the use of ICT infrastructure through solutions that are easy to integrate, access, and evolve, Huawei is enabling industries to seamlessly adopt these technologies and evolve alongside their business needs.?

Shi also stressed the importance of monetizing digital transformation efforts by accelerating service innovation. Through digital and intelligent technologies, Huawei helps industries unlock new business models and generate value by integrating technologies with specific scenarios. This collaborative approach not only helps industries grow but also fosters an ecosystem that supports continuous innovation and enterprise growth. The message reinforced the idea that building strong ICT foundations is crucial for industries to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ensuring long-term success and sustainability in the intelligent era.

Boldness, Innovation, and a Shared Future

As the summit drew to a close, Chen’s words resonated deeply with those in attendance: "Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." Quoting Goethe, Chen urged industries and governments alike to embrace bold thinking as they embark on their digital transformation journeys. In a world where industrial intelligence is within reach, the boldest ideas—whether in AI, connectivity, or cloud—will shape the future.?

GITEX 2024 made it clear that the future is not a distant possibility; it is happening now. Through innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to talent development, the journey to a fully intelligent world has begun. And as industries from energy to manufacturing embrace this future, they are not just transforming themselves—they are shaping a smarter, more connected world for us all.