Visit to Huawei AI Lab Singapore
Let's read Clive and Finian's reflections from one of the many company tours that the Z Club organises for our members! Many thanks to Huawei for opening up its AI Lab for us!
(Authors Clive and Finian are first from the left and right respectively)
On 15th December 2023, Gen Z had the wonderful opportunity of visiting Huawei’s AI Lab tour at Changi Business Park, and I found the experience to be very insightful. We were hosted by Genevieve and Ivan, who shared about Huawei’s business segments and its strengths. Did you know that Huawei has a strong business position in energy solutions and digital power? One of Huawei’s best selling products in this space is their PV inverters, as part of their Fusionsolar Smart PV Solution.
In addition, Genevieve shared with us that Southeast Asia’s biggest energy storage system (ESS) is actually located in Singapore and a collaboration between Huawei, Sembcorp and the Energy Market Authority of Singapore. This ESS has the capacity to secure Singapore’s energy demand in times where solar output is intermittent, and where energy inputs are volatile.
For a long time, I always thought that Huawei only produced consumer devices and was a strong player in the 5G network space. This tour opened my eyes to its other segments, and how Huawei is able to compete on the global scales with powerhouses like Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure.
Ivan shared with us that Huawei’s ability to stay competitive in the cloud and AI market is predominantly attributable to its core competencies in the infrastructure business. As an experienced hardware manufacturer, Huawei is able to ensure that the components which go into its data centers are of the highest operational and service quality. This competency has allowed Huawei to differentiate itself from its cloud competitors like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Tencent and Alibaba. This allows Huawei to maintain a 0% data center downtime operation efficacy, and constantly provide satisfactory levels of service to its clients. As a result, its ability to provide high service standards has netted Huawei many financial institutions and banks as one of its key customer segments.
All in all, the visit to Huawei lab was an absolute blast as the members and I were able to have the chance to interact and learn more about Huawei’s business on a more in-depth level. 10/10 would recommend it to others!
Clive TAN Yijun
ESG Investing Program
Class of 2023
I am thankful for the opportunity to join in on the tour of Huawei’s AI lab in Singapore as it gave me greater insight into Huawei as a company and its various businesses. During my tour of Huawei's AI lab, Genevieve Lee, the PR Manager, emphasised the company's diverse business portfolio beyond smartphones. The core revenue drivers include ICT Infrastructure, Devices, Digital Power, Cloud Computing, and Intelligent Automotive Solutions. This broad spectrum positions Huawei as a comprehensive business entity.
One particularly inspiring aspect was the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project Genevieve highlighted. Partnering with Rainforest Connection (RFCx), an NGO dedicated to preventing illegal deforestation and poaching, Huawei is making an impact on environmental conservation through a unique intersection between Huawei’s Cloud AI capabilities and the upcycling of its old mobile phones. RFCx, founded in 2014, operates globally, employing solar-powered audio monitoring systems called Guardians. These systems, powered by repurposed Huawei mobile phones, continuously transmit rainforest sounds to AI-equipped servers. The AI, supported by Huawei's Cloud, detects illegal activities, notifying rangers in real-time for immediate intervention. The partnership extends to developing a comprehensive platform, utilising Huawei's old mobile phones for data collection, cloud storage for audio data, and advanced AI services to enhance the identification of threats.
Ivan Teng, the Director of Cloud Business, shed light on Huawei's remarkable growth as the second-largest cloud provider in China and the fifth-largest globally. The biggest insight I gathered was that customers are increasingly turning to Huawei due to its competitive edge as a hardware and infrastructure giant. This advantage allows Huawei to deliver high-quality services at lower costs. Teng also pointed out the influence of US-China geopolitical tensions and sanctions on customers' growing preference to adopt multi-cloud solutions with Huawei as their “second option”. In conclusion, my visit to Huawei's AI lab not only highlighted the company's technological prowess and diverse business segments but also showcased its commitment to social and environmental responsibility through impactful CSR initiatives. Huge thanks to Persis and Lynn for organising!
Finian SAW
ESG Investing Program
Class of 2023