Motorola eyes Belt and Road tie-ups

The Belt and Road Initiative has brought tremendous opportunities to technology company Motorola Solutions Inc, the head of its mainland operations said.

Motorola Solutions (China) Chairman and President Michael Jiang, who attended the recent Critical Communications World summit in Hong Kong, said his company had already operated in some Belt and Road economies.

He said he believed that Motorola's critical communications technology and equipment could be utilized－together with mainland companies－in areas ranging from transport, public security and hotels to nuclear power or forestry.

Jiang said Motorola Solutions was among the first overseas companies to set up its office on the mainland in 1987. He said the critical communications field had developed fast in the mainland, especially in the past five years, to reach international standards.

The current wave of technology and innovation in the mainland stimulates consumer demand, which was beneficial to Motorola's business, Jiang said. He said he believed their technology systems would not easily be replaced in the short-term.

Jiang added that Motorola would like to conduct mergers and acquisitions if there were appropriate companies and projects in the mainland.

Motorola Solutions Inc is the US data communications and telecommunications equipment provider that succeeded Motorola, Inc, after the spinoff of the mobile phone division into Motorola Mobility in 2011.

Since Motorola split its mobility and solutions business, the company has focused purely on so-called critical communications. According to its Chief Technology Officer Paul Steinberg, last year Motorola Solutions invested more than $500 million in research and development.

He added that Motorola Venture Capital－the venture capital firm and investment arm of Motorola Solutions－concentrates on cutting-edge innovation and makes investments in companies innovating in areas the US group has prioritized.

Steinberg said investing in partner firms let them innovate more quickly than they could if they took on projects themselves. He said Motorola Venture Capital typically made strategic investments, involving acquiring stakes of less than 20 percent of the share capital and giving them a seat on the board.

The venture capital firm has already invested in more than 200 companies and currently holds 16 firms in its portfolio. Steinberg said the company was increasingly looking at software, analytics and artificial intelligence to develop communication and networking.

"In the past years, we have become more centered on technologies such as artificial intelligence," he said.