Huawei Technologies will work with the City of Zhuhai to develop a computing ecosystem of information technology (IT) infrastructure, industrial applications, and services based on the Kunpeng processor.

Introduced by China's tech giant in January 2019, the high-performance Kunpeng 920 is purpose-built for such applications as big data processing and distributed storage. Upon its unveiling, a company executive announced, "We will work with our customers and partners to build a fully connected, intelligent world."

The processor is marketed as having significant bandwidth, integration, and efficiency designed to meet the diversified and green computing demands of data centers. The Kunpeng computing industry encompasses personal computers, servers, storage, operating systems, middleware, virtualization, databases, cloud services, industrial applications, and consulting and management uses.

Zeng Jinze, deputy executive mayor of Zhuhai and Yang Ping, vice president of Huawei's China Region in charge of politics and enterprise affairs, signed the strategic cooperation agreement on April 29. Under it, the Kunpeng ecosystem Zhuhai is to become one of Huawei's most important government partners.

Huawei and Zhuhai officials sign agreement [Photo courtesy nanfangplus]

To be built is a new-generation IT application innovation center consisting of Kunpeng technical support and industrial solution incubation platforms. The center will encourage the use of Kunpeng resources in domestic operating systems, databases, middleware, and software. This, it is said, will propel the transformation and adaption of associated software enterprises.

A dedicated zone for the Kunpeng data application will take form relying on Zhuhai's data center resources. Meantime, a Kunpeng ecology cluster of demonstration centers and industrial parks will be built with a Zhuhai investment fund to encourage Kunpeng industrial innovation.

An IT application innovation alliance will also be established in collaboration with local industrial associations, hi-tech enterprises, standardization and testing organizations, universities, and scientific research institutions as well as leading enterprises in surrounding regions.

Moreover, Huawei intends to cultivate talents for the Kunpeng computing industry in Zhuhai universities and vocational skill training institutions.

In addition to advantageous location and policies, Zhuhai has a sound foundation in the software and information service sectors, which recorded revenue of 76.23 billion yuan ($10.8 billion) in 2019. The city has strong resources in power and new-energy industrial applications, integrated circuit design, "smart city" applications, and financial services.

The Zhuhai National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Tangjiawan), a national software industrial base under the Torch Program, is home to many software and hardware enterprises including Kingsoft, Ninestar, and Qi An Xin Technology Group.

So far, more than 1,200 enterprises in the Kunpeng computing industry have selected classic areas for industrial empowerment and project incubation, such as governmental affairs, finance, education, and medical treatment.

Zhuhai Party Secretary Guo Yonghang, Mayor Yao Yisheng, and Zhou Jianjun, Huawei's China Region vice president attended the signing ceremony.