China's Huawei launches Openlab Bangkok to support start-ups

BANGKOK - Chinese telecom giant Huawei on Thursday launched its OpenLab Bangkok to provide one-stop Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure support to start-ups and enterprises as well as to facilitate Thailand's digital transformation drive.

With a total investment of $15 million, the OpenLab Bangkok is the 7th of Huawei worldwide, following the previous ones in Dubai, Mexico, Moscow, Munich, Singapore, and Suzhou. It situates on a 2,000-square meter space on the 34th and 39th floor of the G Tower that houses Huawei Enterprise Thailand's new headquarters.

The OpenLab Bangkok will assist start-ups in the information communications technology field, as well as other enterprises, offering them an open platform and data center resources, help solve the solution testing and speed up innovations.

It will also help promoting industry ecosystem development, and provide ICT training service, said David Sun, President and Chief Executive Officer in the Southeast Asia Region, Huawei Technologies, at the opening ceremony.

Huawei said the OpenLab Bangkok will facilitate Huawei's joint innovation and solution launches with its customers and partners in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, from various sectors including Smart City/Safe City, Smart Grid, Finance, Education, Transport, and Internet Service Providers.

Sun emphasized that the OpenLab Bangkok will also support Thai government's "Thailand 4.0" strategy, which said Thai economy should be driven by innovation and new technology, and its aim to promote the local startups.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak thanked Huawei for launching the openlab and said that the lab may help to digitalize Thailand, from which Thai government, enterprises, universities and research institutes can benefit.

According to Huawei, the OpenLab Bangkok will offer ICT training for 800 persons per year, ICT Career Certification for 500 persons per year and Proof Concept Testing for 150 persons per year. It is also expected to welcome more than 20 batches of ICT start-up companies' visit or communication annually.

Worldwide, Huawei plans to add seven new OpenLabs in 2017, and in the next three years will invest $200 million and nearly 1,000 people, bringing the total number of OpenLabs to 20 by the year 2019.