Last week, three colleagues and I joined more than 100,000 people attending this year’s blockbuster Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 to check out the latest developments in the mobile and telecoms space.
Barcelona was warm and sunny, the tapas was good, and the show confirmed what many in the industry already suspected: Asia is no longer just a manufacturing hub – it’s a driving force in global tech innovation.
From AI chip development to IoT systems, electric vehicles and 5G breakthroughs, Asian companies are clearly now leading the way. And, for western tech firms, this presents both new competition and opportunities.
From components to solutions
Chinese tech firms, in particular, have evolved from component manufacturers to full-scale solution providers, and MWC 2025 underlined this transformation.
Huawei, Xiaomi and ZTE dominated discussions, with innovations to show off in 5G, AI-powered networking and IoT-driven smart solutions.
Chinese companies also swept the prestigious Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards, with 24 nominations across 33 categories and wins in priority areas including network infrastructure, AI and private 5G solutions. This signals a fundamental shift: China doesn’t just produce the parts; it’s shaping the future of technology.
Even King Felipe VI of Spain wanted to see what all the fuss was about: we found him trying Huawei’s latest trifold smartphone at the company’s 120,000 sq ft mega-booth.
King Felipe VI of Spain at Huawei's mega-booth
Xiaomi proudly demonstrated its latest electric race car, the SU7 Ultra. It recently set the record for the fastest four-door sedan around the Nürburgring, with a lap time of 6 minutes 47 seconds, and is capable of 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in under two seconds.
Unfortunately for consumers, it looks like none of Xiaomi’s cars will be available to buy in Europe until at least 2027. And, just in case you’re wondering, the one below is on sale in China for around $72k.
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra EV in front of an advert for the company’s latest smartphone with Leica lens
Asian chips
Meanwhile, more and more fabless chip designers are emerging from Asia, looking to challenge the likes of Nvidia in the AI chip space.
South Korea’s Mobilint and DeepX are two such. Both venture-backed scaleups unveiled their latest products, designed to optimise efficiency for on-device intelligence.
Mobilint’s cutting-edge neural processing units (NPUs) attracted particular attention at the show for combining high performance with low power and cost, positioning the firm as one to watch in the AI hardware race.
India’s expanding influence
India also made a strong statement at MWC 2025. The Bharat Pavilion featured 38 startups showcasing AI, 5G and fintech innovations, while government initiatives including Digital India reinforced the country’s ambitions to become a global tech powerhouse.
With more than 100 unicorns and the world’s second-largest telecoms market, India offers international companies a high-growth entry point into Asia. From partnerships in telecom infrastructure to software development, the nation is emerging as both a key innovation hub and an attractive market for expansion.
Fertile ground
So, MWC 2025 underlined that Asia is shaping the future of technology and presents one of the largest and fastest-growing digital economies.
EVTOL drone from Chinese auto OEM X-Peng at the China Telecom stand
Countries including China, India and the Southeast Asian nations are seeing explosive adoption of 5G, cloud computing, AI and fintech, with the demand for new solutions outpacing that in western markets.
For western SMEs, the region offers an opportunity not just to sell but to co-develop, localise and scale products faster than in more saturated markets. They should be looking at it not just as a source of competition, but as a fertile ground for partnerships, R&D collaboration and commercial opportunity.
Engaging Asian corporations now is key to staying competitive in a rapidly-shifting global tech landscape.
To discuss the prospects for your tech business in Asia, contact Paul at paul.dupont@intralinkgroup.com