The Digital Economy Development Forum, held by Huawei at MWC Barcelona 2026, brought together nearly 100 digital strategy makers, industry experts, and industry association representatives from regions including Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa on March 5, 2026.
David Wang, Executive Director of the Board at Huawei, delivered the opening speech. He addressed key topics including policy, infrastructure, and talent development, all centered on the forum’s theme: “From Vision to Value for a Smart Future.”
AI Reshaping the Global Economy
Artificial intelligence is currently experiencing rapid growth worldwide, with AI agents now at the center of attention. According to IDC, AI will contribute $22.3 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Wang stated that the digital economy has shifted from “connectivity plus data” to “AI plus decision-making,” as AI restructures global value chains.
Wang outlined three areas the world must address to achieve high-quality development of the global digital economy. First, favorable industrial policies must fully support the digital economy and drive the simultaneous development of digital and real economies. Second, future-oriented infrastructure is essential for the digital economy to thrive, laying a solid foundation for wide-scale digital technology application and digital transformation across industries.
Third, Wang said the world needs a multi-layered, sustainable talent ecosystem as an absolute strategic pillar for the long-term development of the digital economy.
“The AI era has already begun. Huawei will continue working with all of you to enable smart industries and build a solid foundation for a smart world. Let us together transform vision into value and shape our smart future.”
David Wang, Executive Director of the Board, Huawei
Digital Infrastructure at the Core
During the keynote session, Joyce Liu, Director of ICT Marketing Operations Management at Huawei, stated that digital infrastructure is the cornerstone of industry development in the AI era. Liu said development must advance across all fronts, including networks, energy, and computing power. Industry players must establish millisecond-level low-latency network connections to prevent information silos from hindering AI development.
Liu also noted the need to build green data centers faster, driving computing growth while reducing carbon emissions. This dual focus on performance and sustainability reflects the forum’s broader emphasis on responsible digital growth.
Data as a Core Production Factor
Professor Rong Ke, Director of the Institute of Economics at the School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, delivered a speech confirming that data is a core production factor in the AI era. He stated that only by refining digital infrastructure across the full data lifecycle — generation, transmission, storage, and application — can the world fully unlock the value of data.
The forum reached a broad consensus that countries are at different stages of digital economy development. Each nation needs to formulate AI development strategies and implementation paths suited to its own conditions in order to efficiently advance its smart transformation. This consensus underscores the importance of tailored approaches over uniform global frameworks.
Forum Growth Since 2023
The Digital Economy Development Forum, established in 2023, has grown into a high-level communication platform focused on collaboration and shared global success. The forum has expanded its reach across multiple regions since its founding, attracting a growing number of participants each year.
MWC Barcelona 2026 runs from March 2 to March 5 in Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Huawei displays its latest products and solutions at booth 1H50 in Hall 1 at the Fira Gran Via convention center. The telecommunications industry event draws participants from across the global technology sector.