Huawei’s Derek Collins is why we are in the midst of an “intelligent revolution” and Ireland stands in the global R&D field.
“A decade ago, R&D was characterized by more silent, discipline-specific research,” says Derek Collins of Huawei. “Today, it is interdisciplinary, collaborative and deeply integrated with AI and big data.
“The pace of discovery has been significantly faster and is supported by advances in calculations and global collaboration.”
Collins is the Director of Industry Engagement and Research Collaboration at Huawei Ireland and has over 20 years of experience in the ICT and R&D sectors in the US, Asia and Europe.
In his role, he leads Huawei Areland’s research collaboration and industry engagement efforts. As Collins explains to Siliconrepublic.com, Huawei Ireland is working on R&D efforts at three sites: Dublin, Athlone and Cork.
Through seven research teams, the company’s Irish business explores topics such as AI, machine learning, cloud computing, gaming, 6G, and natural language processing.
Collins believes we are now in the midst of an “intelligent revolution” similar to the previous industrial transformation seen throughout history. And he says that AI is at the heart of this revolution.
“AI is becoming the center of almost every field, including healthcare, communications, climate science,” he says. “This has led to an information explosion that challenges even basic theories like Nyquist law and von Neumann’s architecture.”
In fact, according to Collins, Huawei has invested more than 20% of its annual sales revenue in R&D over the past three years, so AI will become the core capabilities of all future devices to bring about new opportunities that could lead to growth.
However, while the research environment appears to be evolving quite a bit, Collins says there are several barriers that challenge modern innovation: resource constraints such as AI energy demand, data security, and talent retention.
Derek Collins. Image: Huawei
Future trends
As the research environment continues to evolve, Collins says there are some specific trends that he is particularly excited about, such as the shift towards responsible AI and the rise of precision medicine.
One trend he looks closely at is the increased use of AI in climate science, as seen in Huawei’s Pangue-Weather system. This is the use of AI and 3D technology to improve weather forecasting accuracy.
“The next iteration of this model is the Pangu 5.0 Foundation model deployed in over 30 industries and 400 application scenarios, which will promote digital transformation and operational efficiency for sectors such as steel, manufacturing and rail, demonstrating a multi-purpose case for AI models,” says Collins.
For research and development as an academic, Collins predicts that space will become “hyper-collaboration.” It not only shares infrastructure and cross-border alliances, but it foresees the important role of R&D in green energy and resource efficiency.
Ireland’s capabilities
From an R&D ability perspective, Collins says Ireland is “standing as a powerful force” at the global stage. Key to Ireland’s research strengths, he says, are its talent pool, the quality of the research institution and its advanced policy environment.
He mentions the latest and highly cited list of Claribate’s most recent list of highly cited researchers as evidence of this aptitude, featuring 32 Ireland-based scholars, including Professor Valeria Nicolosi of Trinity College Dublin and Professor Maurice Collins of Limerick University.
In addition to this, recent events such as the Research Ireland Forum highlight the nation’s ambitions and commitment to “long-term scientific and social advancements.”
“But ambitions must coincide with investment,” he says, pointing to a recent warning from business group IBEC that Ireland’s current public funding model is beyond that aspiration.
According to the IBEC, the country must increase public investment in research and innovation to one PC of GDP by 2035 to protect Ireland’s research and development capabilities.
“Ireland ranks seventh on the European Innovation Scoreboard and is classified as a “strong innovator,” but remains behind unless public funds keep up with fellow countries like the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.
“Ireland has the potential to lead science and technology, but also form global standards for the arts, humanities, agriculture and creative industries as a whole,” he adds. “To seize this opportunity, we must establish new social agreements, adjusting our talent, investment and policies to create a more dynamic, equitable and resilient society.
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