Huawei has opened a "virtual" artificial intelligence (AI) academy in Singapore, offering 140 free online courses on AI, 5G, cloud computing and big data.
Huawei said it aims to certify 1,000 engineers in the country by the end of next year.
The academy will also provide hands-on experience in AI development through simulation labs and will start offering Cyber Range training courses next quarter to help small and medium-sized businesses and their partners better protect against cybersecurity threats.
The new Virtual AI Academy, announced at the Huawei Ecosystem Summit on Tuesday, will integrate with the vendor's local AI labs and offer courses designed to train and certify users at all levels, including ICT novices and professionals.
Over the past few months, during Singapore's localised blockade to contain the neo-coronary pneumonia outbreak, Huawei said it has enrolled more than 300 local ICT professionals in the virtual academy as a "trial run".
It has also partnered with Nanyang Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and New Leap Social Sciences University to enhance the digital skills of its students.
At the online summit, Huawei unveiled plans to invest S$5 million ($3.58 million) in Singapore to strengthen joint product development efforts with local partners.
Huawei said its local growth strategy will remain focused on leveraging AI to expand and enhance connectivity and computing capabilities across a wide range of industries, particularly government, financial, transportation and internet service providers.
Organizations will need to redesign their services to adapt to the new normal. Digital technologies based on 5G, cloud and AI will play a key role in this transformation. By building an open ecosystem with our partners, we will focus on connectivity and computing in Singapore because we believe in This will enhance digital transformation across many industries and ultimately help immunize our eco-partners."
The vendor also announced the launch of the Asia-Pacific Ascend partner program (Asia-Pacific Ascend Partner Program, which is said to promote the development of AI in Singapore. The program includes AI partnerships with independent software vendors, AI talent development in tertiary institutions and the development of the government's AI industry.
According to data provided by Huawei, its enterprise business revenue grew 20 percent year-on-year last year, while the number of certifications for its business partners increased by 68 percent.
It also said that global partners contributed 86 percent of its enterprise business revenue.
