Q3/2019 - Brazilian BRICS Presidency

BRICS Institute of Future Networks, Shenzhen, 6 August 2019

On 6 August 2019, the Chinese branch of the “BRICS Institute for the Future of Networks” was opened up in Shenzhen[1]. The foundation of this institute had been decided by the BRICS Ministers of Communications under the South African presidency in the summer of 2018[2].

The main task of the institute will be the development of new technologies, including in particular the Internet of Things, the future of mobile communication, Artificial Intelligence, autonomous driving, information security and 5G.

Originally, India had offered to build up this institute. Also discussed was a decentralised structure with branch offices in all five BRICS countries. After India had excluded Huawei and ZTE from establishing India’s 5G network, the Chinese government had taken the initiative and opened the first branch of the new institute in the five BRICS countries. At the opening ceremony, Chinese Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Zhaoxiong Chen, said that the Chinese branch would closely cooperate not only with the other four BRICS countries but also with all other developing countries, especially in the fields of security, Artificial Intelligence and 5G. The opening ceremony was also attended by ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. He highlighted the innovation potential and market power of the five BRICS countries.

The other four BRICS countries have not yet established national branches of the BRICS institute. It also remains to be seen how the exchange and coordination between the individual branches can be organised, provided the branches will be created, and if the branches will be bundled under a joint roof organisation.

Meeting of SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov und Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba, 26 August 2019

On 26 August 2019, Vladimir Norov, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is closely related to BRICS, met with Jack Ma, the still incumbent CEO of the Chinese Internet platform Alibaba[3]. Jack Ma announced that Alibaba was going to contribute to a more dynamic digitalisation within and between the SCO member states. He informed that Alibaba was planning to create 100 million new jobs within the coming years and to support ten million small and medium-size business. Jack Ma pointed to the 800 million young people who lived in the SCO member countries. They provided a huge opportunity for the future of the digital economy. In the coming months, an Alibaba working group, together with the SCO Secretariat, was going to explore how the "Concept of Cooperation in the Field of Digitalisation and Information-Communication Technologies" adopted at the SCO Summit in Bishkek in June 2019 could be implemented.

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Q3/2019BRICS
  1. [1] New institute to map out future networks, in China Daily, 7. August 2019: „The China Branch of the BRICS Institute of Future Networks is designed to deepen cooperation among Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to boost the development of key technologies including 5G, artificial intelligence and information security. Chen Zhaoxiong, vice-minister of industry and information technology, said ICT is leading a new round of technological revolution and the next decade will be a crucial one for BRICS and other developing countries to achieve rapid development. "The new institute is of great significance to further deepen cooperation between BRICS and other developing countries, promote the application and innovation of future network technologies, and support the development of the digital economy," Chen said. China's Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a government research institute, is in charge of building the China Branch of the BRICS Institute of Future Networks. Liu Duo, president of CAICT, said the new high-end think tank will focus on the research of policies concerning 5G, industrial internet, artificial intelligence, the internet of vehicles, information security and other technologies. "It is positioned to deepen international exchanges and accelerate technological innovation and applications, for instance, building a mechanism to jointly promote technical standards on ICT," Liu said. Also, more efforts will be made to promote talent communication among the five countries and co-organize more training sessions, Liu added. Zhao Houlin, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, said BRICS members are all developing countries and emerging markets, and they account for a very important part of the total global population. Their achievements will affect the development of the global information and communication sector. "We also see strong innovation capabilities in these countries and they have a very good understanding of their huge population and how to offer new technologies to both urban and rural residents," Zhao said. Siehe: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201908/07/WS5d4a29f6a310cf3e3556449c.html
  2. [2] BRICS takes step closer to set up Institute for Future Networks, 15 September 2018, siehe: http://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/brics-takes-step-closer-to-set-up-institute-for-future-networks/
  3. [3] SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov, Alibaba Group CEO Jack Ma discuss intra-SCO IT cooperation, „The Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group Jack Ma praised the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and its potential, as well as the SCO Secretariat's efforts to expand intra-SCO trade and economic cooperation. He underscored the importance of expanding the internet, intelligent technologies and globalisation, so as to create new opportunities for entrepreneurs, young people and small businesses. This should become our joint work. The Alibaba Group is growing at a breathtaking pace, but we don't pride ourselves in how much money we have earned, we pride ourselves in how many jobs we have created, he noted. "I believe we should have met even earlier," Jack Ma said. The Alibaba Group CEO acquainted SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov with corporate plans for the next few years. The company intends to create over 100 million jobs worldwide and to support ten million small businesses. He emphasized the importance of cooperation with the SCO in this context considering that over 800 million young people live in the SCO region. "This amounts to tremendous opportunities as well as huge responsibility," Jack Ma noted. "We are ready to help the SCO implement the Concept of Cooperation in the Field of Digitalisation and Information-Communication Technologies," he added. Jack Ma voiced his readiness to send a working group of Alibaba Group experts to the SCO Secretariat in the near future in order to outline future cooperation guidelines. in: http://eng.sectsco.org/news/20190829/571024.html