Unity is strength – a key concept during the difficult times we are experiencing. The COVID-19 has put a strain on the whole world, but we are slowly taking back control thanks to mutual support between people, and trust in technology.
I’ve discussed the importance of these topics to fight pandemic in a cross border chat with Ken Hu, Deputy Chairman of Huawei, during which we shared our own opinions regarding the situation in China, Italy, and all around the world. Listening to his wise thoughts has been really inspiring for me, and I hope it can inspire others as well – let’s go over the highlights.
The role of technology during the pandemic
If we make a comparison with past viruses such as SARS and H1N1, the current situation seems worse than before. Nevertheless, the innovation and the progress made over the years play on our side. As Ken states, “We are lucky now that we have much more advanced technology than a couple of years ago. Most of the people have to stay home, however, we are still connected with each other.”
And that’s true – despite social distancing, we have the opportunity to talk with other people in a digital face to face mode, thanks to the support of the broadband. Could you ever imagine how the world would be like by facing such disease without connectivity today? Most likely, we would have lost almost every kind of human relationship. This reasoning makes me evaluate the key role technology is playing – it allows us to be close in an alternative way, and that’s a new amazing experience for humanity.
The use of emerging technologies has been beneficial to cope with the pandemic, especially in the healthcare sector. About this, I like mentioning an episode on which I focused attention during the chat – the critical mission by Huawei to build a 5G base station for the emergency field hospital in record time, only three days! And thanks to the 5G broadband connectivity, vast amounts of healthcare data have been shared among doctors in different parts of the world in a very efficient way. When I heard it, I thought – the power of innovation, combined with resilience, has absolutely no limits.
Besides, the integration with Artificial Intelligence tools is crucial. “Many scientists are working with the help of AI to better understand the virus, to identify better solutions with medicine and even to speed up the process of the vaccine development.” as Ken highlights.
If we have the tech potential, I believe we need to do our best to feed progress and achieve great results, especially when it comes to saving lives.
Globalization & Trust in the wake of the pandemic
This situation has taught us that we are in the same environment. So, in an ever more connected world, a global collaboration between countries can help to face a crisis like this one. We are witnessing the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, forged by new advanced technologies, wherein the digital world and the physical-biological world combine to create innovations that advance with a speed and on a scale with no comparison in the history of humanity. And this metamorphosis is radically changing the way we relate to each other, harnessing the power of globalization to build a more equal future based on trust.
Future perspectives in a rising world
Furthermore, we shouldn’t forget that what happens today will affect tomorrow. I believe this pandemic is changing our mindset, and I realized I’m not the only one – Ken agrees about the fact that there will be lots of changes in the future from different perspectives. “The biggest change is that the online will become a new normal of the lifestyle,” he says, and I couldn’t agree more.
His observation has made me ponder a lot, and I feel there will be promising challenges about this lifestyle revolution. It means a brand new challenge not only for individuals but also for companies. They need to get ready for an organizational culture shift, where the future working model can be adapted. Of course, the change involves several aspects. Still, one of the most important is the effective maintenance of the broadband network to keep people connected online – not only in big countries but primarily in developing ones.
Globalization can equalize some of the disparities that exist on a global level through the pervasive use of digital technologies. So, we should favor a sustainable future that enables an inclusive growth for the benefit of everyone. I appreciate Huawei is very active about that, and the Tech4All initiative is proof. Anyway, achieving a concrete improvement means that all of us have to adopt this vision by doing our own best to build the pillars towards a better future.
Together we are stronger, and we can rise much faster than alone.