Huawei Showcases Key AI and OS Inventions, Spotlighting IP Strategy
Huawei Technologies has unveiled its latest technological breakthroughs, including advancements in AI computing and its proprietary operating system, signaling a strategic focus on monetizing its vast intellectual property portfolio amid a sustained, high-intensity research and development push.
At its sixth Innovation and Intellectual Property Forum on November 11, the Shenzhen-based tech giant announced its "Top Ten Inventions," a list that features a "scale-up" computing platform designed for large-scale AI models and architectural innovations for its HarmonyOS. These developments underscore Huawei's ambition to build core technologies in critical sectors.
"Open innovation and intellectual property protection are not contradictory, but are the twin engines of technological progress," said Song Liuping, Huawei's Chief Legal Officer. The company reported patent licensing revenue of approximately $630 million in 2024, a figure that highlights its growing success in commercializing its extensive patent library.
The announcements come as Huawei continues to heavily invest in R&D, with spending reaching 22.7% of its revenue in the first half of 2025. This focus on deep-tech innovation and IP monetization is central to its strategy for navigating a complex global market and securing future growth streams beyond its traditional hardware businesses.
Innovations in AI, OS, and Hardware
Central to the announcement were several inventions poised to shape future products. The "Scale-up ultra-large super-node computing platform" creates a shared memory pool that allows thousands of AI processors to function as a single computer, a key architecture for developing powerful AI models. Meanwhile, innovations in its Harmony OS aim to improve performance and security. The system’s Ark Engine enhances software-hardware synergy for a smoother user experience, while its Starshield security architecture gives users granular control over data sharing.
In hardware, Huawei revealed new technology for a "New Foldable Form Factor," including what it calls the world's first commercial tri-fold smartphone and a large-screen foldable PC. The company also highlighted breakthroughs in short-range optical interconnects for data centers, a new generation of high-capacity SSDs, and its "GigaGreen RAN" technology, which it claims offers 30% better energy efficiency than competing wireless base stations.
From R&D Spending to Licensing Revenue
Huawei's innovation pipeline is fueled by massive and sustained R&D investment. The company has spent a cumulative RMB 1.249 trillion yuan (about $172 billion) on R&D over the past decade. Its R&D expenditure was RMB 179.7 billion in 2024, representing 20.8% of its annual revenue. In the first half of 2025, R&D investment grew 9.04% year-on-year to RMB 96.95 billion.
This spending has translated into a formidable patent portfolio. By the end of 2024, Huawei held over 150,000 active authorized patents globally and became the top applicant at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for the tenth consecutive year. The company is increasingly leveraging this portfolio for revenue, noting that while it earned $630 million in licensing fees in 2024, its historical patent fee payments are approximately three times its cumulative licensing income, positioning itself as a key participant in the global IP ecosystem.
A Dual Strategy: Open Source and IP Protection
Huawei executives emphasized a dual approach of protecting its own IP while contributing to open innovation. "Open innovation is in Huawei's DNA," said Song, adding that the company respects all forms of intellectual property. As a leading contributor to the ICT industry, the company is committed to open technology through open source software, open hardware, and patent sharing, according to Fan Zhiyong, Vice President and Head of the Intellectual Property Rights Department.
In 2024 alone, Huawei disclosed 37,000 new patents, contributed over 10,000 new proposals to standards organizations, and published more than 1,000 academic papers. Its open-source operating system, openEuler, has now surpassed 10 million installed sets, while its OpenHarmony community has seen over 10 million new lines of code contributed by more than 8,100 developers.
Global Footprint of Huawei's Patents
The company's patented technologies are deeply embedded in consumer and enterprise products worldwide. According to Fan, more than 2.7 billion 5G devices, 1.2 billion Wi-Fi consumer devices, and 3.2 billion multimedia devices have been licensed to use Huawei's patents. Furthermore, 48 Fortune Global 500 companies are direct or indirect licensees of Huawei's technology.
This model of cross-licensing and contributing to a global patent system is crucial for enabling technological progress. "Innovation is the core engine of modern economic growth, and this engine cannot run without a robust, open, and internationally trusted patent system," said Deng Xiwai, Associate Vice-President of the University of Hong Kong. He added that a rules-based IP framework facilitates the flow of value and builds a healthy business ecosystem.