SHENZHEN, 15 September 2022 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), participating in the HUAWEI GLOBAL Startup Summit, themed “Foreseeing the Power of Entrepreneurs” agreed to cooperate through the HUAWEI CLOUD Startup Program for global scientific advancement and technological progress to support economic and social development.

“UNIDO’s mission of inclusive and sustainable industrial development is supported by its motto ‘Progress by Innovation’; the pandemic accelerated industrial digitalization, with cloud services playing an increasing role by supporting innovation and entrepreneurship - this has helped bridge the digital divide between developed and developing countries”, said Ciyong Zou, UNIDO Managing Director, who spoke on behalf of Gerd Müller, UNIDO Director General at the opening of the HUAWEI CLOUD Global Startup Summit. “We believe that today’s event is one of the initiatives that can enable entrepreneurship and that can provide much-needed support to innovative small and micro startups to ultimately drive economic recovery in cities and communities severely impacted by the pandemic”.

Leveraging UNIDO’s global networks, the cooperation will empower startups through new initiatives, including new global entrepreneur contests, showcasing new tech startups on UNIDO’s Knowledge Hub, and promote best practices in technological innovation. It is only through the concerted efforts of governments, large enterprises, investors, and entrepreneurs that can accelerate the promotion of digital inclusion and technological equity.

The HUAWEI CLOUD Startup Program is an enabling acceleration programme launched for global start-ups. It is committed to helping start-ups move quickly to the cloud at low or even zero cost, and focuses on innovation.