Xiamen, China – The 2025 BRICS New Connectivity Innovation Forum was held in Xiamen, Fujian. Co-hosted by the World WLAN Application Alliance (WAA), the International SparkLink Alliance (iSLA), the Network Innovation and Development Alliance (NIDA), and the Global IoT Innovation Consortium (GIIC), the event was organized by the BRICS New Connectivity Committee under the BRICS Partnership Innovation Base, together with the China Center for International Economic and Technical Exchanges (CIETC), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
At a pivotal moment of global digital transformation, the forum, themed “Innovation Transforms Life, Openness Drives Development,” brought together senior representatives from governments, industry, academia, and international organizations across more than 20 BRICS and partner countries, including Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Qatar, and Ethiopia. Participants exchanged views on frontier topics such as next-generation wireless networks and artificial intelligence, highlighting new opportunities for advancing digital economies and industrial upgrading.
Leaders including Mr. ZHU Gang, Deputy Director-general, Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; Mr.PENG Junfeng, Member of the Party Leadership Group of the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology; and Mr. LI Feng, General Manager of Home Smart Connectivity Department, China Mobile (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd, delivered opening remarks. Mr. ZHU emphasized that the Committee will continue to serve as a bridge for policy dialogue, technical exchange, standards coordination, and industrial cooperation, helping to narrow digital divides and ensuring the benefits of digitalization are shared by all.
The agenda featured a wide range of keynote speeches. Highlights included: Zhang Man, Deputy General Manager of Home Smart Connectivity Department, China Mobile (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd.“China Mobile Smart Home Network Solution”Li Chaoyang, Director of Industry Alliance Dept, Huawei Technologies “Innovation Drives Industrial Development Opening-up Builds a Global Ecosystem
” Wang Hao,Deputy Chief Product Manager of the Wireless Product Line, H3C Group “Shaping the Future of Enterprise WLAN with Cloud + 4i Technology”
International contributions included Mariana Luiza Flávio from Brazil’s National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro) on “Driving Quality and Innovation for the New Industrial Revolution”, and Mervin Sisanda Mtwazi, Senior Manager at South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, on “Forging a Collaborative BRICS Future: Partnership for South Africa’s Development and Collective Resilience.”
Alliance leaders also presented insights, including iSLA on breakthroughs toward an era of intelligent connectivity, NIDA on IPv6-based next-generation internet, and GIIC on the global potential of the HarmonyOS ecosystem.
A thematic panel moderated by Yang Tao, Secretary-General of WAA, gathered experts from Qatar, H3C, and HiSilicon for a roundtable on “Global Industrial Collaboration: Advancing Openness and Innovation.”
The forum also witnessed the release of the BRICS AI New Connectivity Technology Innovation and Standardization Cooperation Initiative and the awarding of WAA WLAN7 product certificates for campus office scenarios, further showcasing the vitality and innovation of BRICS cooperation in connectivity technologies.
Since the launch of the BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution in 2018, and the establishment of the BRICS Innovation Base in Xiamen in 2020, BRICS countries have deepened collaboration in connectivity. The founding of the BRICS New Connectivity Committee in 2024 marked a new phase, building a network of governments, enterprises, operators, standards bodies, and research institutions. Its ongoing initiatives on standardization and joint projects are helping to shape globally influential frameworks and foster inclusive digital growth.
The Xiamen forum marks another milestone in this journey, providing a platform for shared vision, practical cooperation, and collective action. By bringing together diverse perspectives and releasing new initiatives, BRICS and its partners are seizing the momentum of the digital age to foster innovation, resilience, and sustainable prosperity for all.
