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Digital Transformation, Connected Cities, and the Future

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Digital Transformation, Connected Cities, and the Future

Edwin Diender is Chief Digital Transformation Officer for the Enterprise Business Group at Huawei Technologies. We explore digital transformation, Smart Cities, Connected & Intelligent Cities, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, bridging the digital divide and how cities may change over the next 5 years.


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This episode dives into:

  • Key steps to successful digital transformation.
  • Challenges to implementing a digital transformation strategy.
  • Latest trends in digital transformation.
  • How to fast track digital transformation.
  • Huawei’s vision of a Smart City and how it is defined.
  • Why Africa’s definition of a Smart City should be no different from the rest of the world.
  • Connected and Intelligent Cities.
  • Real-world Smart City examples (and Smart Nations).
  • Bridging the digital gap/ divide and leaving no one behind.
  • The global state of 5G and Artificial Intelligence and where is it heading.
  • How technology can help us do better what we already do best.
  • Digitalised services and why daily operation of city management might go/ fall away.
  • How cities may change over the next 5 years. (Spoiler: The digital version of cities will expand and grow faster and higher up)


About Edwin Diender

Blue ocean strategist, forward thinker, frequent speaker, and panelist at events around the world. Adept on a range of subjects, from AI, digital twins, cloud, 5G, and big data to intelligent cities, to enterprise solutions. Cross-industry tech strategist, negotiator, practitioner, accustomed to larger concepts.

Chief Digital Transformation Officer of our Enterprise Business Group. Currently overlooking our smart education and healthcare markets, energy transition, and industry enablement.

Initiated The Hierarchy of Needs for Connected Cities and Industries (2020). Developed and launched the Universal Framework for Intelligent City Construction via the principle of Rubik's cube (2019). Winner of the MVP Award (Most Valuable Professional) in the Huawei Enterprise Business Group (2018). Introduced the Intelligent Operations Center (IOC) as the Brain and Nervous System for Smart Cities (2017). Introduced First Safe Then Smart, as a guideline for a safe city to intelligent city transformation (2016).

Developed and launched Secure Converged Communications in Europe (2005). Pitched and sold one of the 1st IP-communications platforms 'As a Service' in the Dutch market (1998).

As innovation officer and advisor of choice, globally involved in several programs and initiatives; scaling from small up to medium and large deployments. Providing insights into the value of digital transformation, bridging physical and digital economies, and help create digital twins.

Experienced in digital transformation, complex negotiations, and bringing to-market concepts and solutions for Intelligent Cities, Digital Governance snd Cloud, including Collaboration and AI-enabled Business Process, Big (Video) Data Analytics, The Future of Work, Energy Transition, and the Economics of Intelligent Cities.

Source: LinkedIn

About Huawei

Huawei is an independent, privately-held company that provides Information and Communications Technology (ICT). We have nearly 194,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

Everything we develop and deliver to our customers are secure and trustworthy, and this company's track record has been consistent for 30 years.

With integrated solutions across four key domains — telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services — we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

About Huawei Enterprise Business Group

  • 2011: Established
  • 2019: CNY89,710 million revenue
  • 253 Fortune Global 500 companies digitally transform with Huawei
  • 28,000+ Global partners

Source: Website


Download This Episode's MP3 File
The file will open in a new window. Click down arrow to download the file.

Where to subscribe: Apple Podcast | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube | RSS


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