Asia’s tech future is about to change, forever, and for good. The Digital Silk Road initiative seems to be the perfect “playground” aiming to foster fruitful collaborations in the digital spectrum between China, emerging Asian markets, the Middles East, and Europe.  

Let’s discuss this further. 

Today, the western city of Xi’an is home to 63 universities and hundreds of research and technology institutes. The city’s Software Park is expected to host more than 250.000 tech experts by 2021 all employed by large corporations, such as Huawei and HSBC, which are now investing heavily in the region’s talent pool.  

As it stands, a “Chinese Silicon Valley” in the making, experts predict Xi’an will soon officially be reviewed as the main hub for the Digital Silk Road strategic plan. This is part of the country’s ambitious One Belt One Road Initiative (BRI) to increase influence and foster collaboration with almost every region that stands on the way to the West, parts of Africa included.  

In a recent summit, Xi Jinping, China’s president referred to the Digital Silk Road as a multidiscipline and multidirectional digital pathway full of amazing opportunities for everyone involved. 

It is key that China is eyeing most countries in Asia as potential partners in an ecosystem where the latest tech developments will find immediate application and partners will benefit in many different ways.  

So, what technologies will make the Digital Silk Road special?  

We expect China to quickly leverage the opportunity of the Digital Silk Road and bring forward specific technologies to solicit unprecedented development of digital infrastructure in the Asian, ME, and African high-growth economies. 

The focus will be on helping the “ecosystem” with technologies such as: 

- Artificial Intelligence 

- Big Data 

- Cloud storage 

- Quantum Computing  

- Biotechnology – Biomed 

- Internet of Things 

As far as industries are concerned, it is understood that this initiative will benefit all market segments, from e-commerce and telecoms to scientific cooperation and the smart economy. 

1. Significant benefits with global effect 

As mentioned before, all economies involved in this initiative will attain significant benefits. Here are the most important ones:  

2. Better digital infrastructure.  

Faster connections will provide solid foundations for economies to reach further growth. Internet penetration will increase significantly in emerging markets and the number of the “unconnected” in Asia will be significantly reduced.   

3. Increased online security.  

Advanced AI and machine learning algorithms will increase online security and help prevent cyberattacks.  As a result, the digital economy in the region is expected to reach exponential growth rates until 2030.  

4. Research and Innovation.  

Developments in quantum computing will also empower researchers and innovators in China and emerging Asian economies towards producing an abundance of solutions to major problems related to nutrition, medical care, and to the environment.  

 

Important UN action is underway  

On June 5, Beijing government met with UN officials to discuss the establishment of a new agency for protection of digital privacy internationally.  

Despite the fact that more than 100+ countries have already enacted data protection laws, a unified and centralized approach will globally tackle issues such as data breaches, online identity theft, and digital fraud in all its forms.  

Under the UN umbrella, this agency is expected to work towards increasing consumers’ trust for digital services, and thus, have a significant impact in the economies of APAC, Middle East, and African countries.  

 

Time to make the digital world a safer place 

In closing, we believe that initiatives such as the Digital Silk Road will surely empower the digital spectrum in China, in emerging Asia, Middle East, and African economies, allowing the digital economy to flourish on solid ground.  

At Lamda Hellix, we remain committed to providing high-value data center services, with enhanced security and an amazing set of tools promoting efficiency, flexibility, and growth possibilities. 

After all, Greece is a gateway to Europe for all regions in the East. The country is also well positioned on the Maritime Silk Road and we expect the same thing to happen with the Digital Silk Road. 

Find out more about our services, carefully designed to empower global organizations to enjoy the fruits of the 4th Industrial Revolution.