Huawei committed to UK expansion

Huawei is committed to continue investing into the UK market and act as a transparent company with good corporate governance, said Lord John Browne, head of Huawei's UK board.

Browne was speaking at Huawei's annual summer reception on Monday in London, attended by a few hundred industry experts and partner organizations of Huawei.

On the same day, Huawei also announced the launch of a research report by the think tank Oxford Economics, which found that Huawei has contributed 956 million pounds to gross domestic product in the UK over the last three years.

The report has also found that Huawei supports 7,400 jobs in the UK directly and through its supply chain. Currently Huawei employs 1,030 workers in the UK, meaning the impact of its direct investment has far larger implications than direct employment.

Browne, former chief executive of BP, joined the Huawei board in February this year. He said that he first visited Huawei's Shenzhen headquarters a few years ago and was impressed by not only the company's growth, but also the company's commitment to future long-term growth.

Browne says one key example of Huawei's commitment to future growth and integration into the local society is an education program it hosts in the UK, providing internships and scholarships opportunity to UK students in China.

In these programs, the graduates would spend time in Huawei's headquarters and learn more about the company, he says.

Another key example of Huawei's commitment to growth is its investment into research and development in the UK, and especially R&D in partnership with the UK's local companies and organizations, Browne say.

Huawei's R&D spending in the UK grew from 30.6 million pounds in 2012 to 78.4 million pounds in 2014, which is an average annual growth of 60.2 percent.

Since 2012 Huawei has acquired the Cambridge-based Internet of Things company Neul, opened a new R&D center in Bristol, helped roll out 4G and broadband networks around the UK for customers including EE and BT, begun pioneering the development of 5G technologies. The company now has a presence at 15 locations across the UK.

Huawei's total contribution to UK GDP grew by an average of 23.7 percent annually between 2012-14, according to the impact study. Over that time it sourced goods and services from suppliers based in 70 percent of the UK's postcode areas and it made a positive contribution to GDP and employment in all of the UK's regions.

Browne said that Huawei's achievements in the UK is also due to the fact the UK has an open and welcoming business environment, and abundant talent pool. He said that Huawei will continue to grow in the UK and act as a transparent company with good corporate governance.

Ken Hu, Huawei Group Rotating CEO and an executive director on the Huawei UK Board, said that the UK's outstanding record in fostering business growth and pioneering technological innovations make it one of Huawei's most important markets internationally.

"We are proud to make a contribution to the UK economy through our products and services and the ground-breaking innovation and R&D that we carry out in Britain. The impact report confirms the benefits we bring, but also indicates areas where can improve," Hu said.