In September this year, Huawei made a big move.
Huawei mate60pro is on the market, this mobile phone is completely made in China, chip localization, component localization, system localization, it meansSince then, China's electronic technology has embarked on a new journey of complete localizationThis is a significant breakthrough for Huawei, and indeed for the whole of China.
13 years ago, Liu Chuanzhi would never have thought that what made Huawei today what he despised was the research and development of core technologies that he despised at the beginning, and it was his "wise decision" that caused Lenovo to go from glory to decline step by step.
At that time, Liu Chuanzhi was a godfather-like existence in the business world.
In 1988, Liu Chuanzhi came to Hong Kong and wanted to do a big jobIn addition to the 300,000 Hong Kong dollars in his capital, he also has the knowledge and innovation in his head。In Hong Kong, he relied on his 13 years of research at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to create Lenovo's own brand microcomputer.
Just two years later, Lenovo's own brand microcomputer was a great success at the electronica trade fair in Hannover, Germany, and finally received national recognition, obtained a production license, and launched it in the domestic market.
Lenovo became the first computer brand in China to develop and produce its own products independently. After a successful start, Liu Chuanzhi led the Lenovo brand to the peak step by step.
In 2005, Lenovo further expanded the company's scaleAcquired IBM, an information technology company based in New York, USASoon, Lenovo became one of the largest computer manufacturers in the world.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Lenovo hosted the computer and software equipment services for many games of the Olympic Games, which was a milestone event for Lenovo.
Since then, Lenovo has become synonymous with the computer industry in the hearts of Chinese, and owning a Lenovo computer is the common wish of all computer enthusiasts.
Liu Chuanzhi also became a model of successful entrepreneurs at that time, and was regarded by many people because of his extremely sharp business acumen and super mentality of not changing the face of Taishan"The Godfather of Business".
Major TV stations rushed to invite him to the show, and countless entrepreneurs wanted to learn from him. Ma Yun and Ren Zhengfei started their businesses at the same time as Liu Chuanzhi, but both of them are still struggling on the road, and Liu Chuanzhi has already become a leader in the electronic information industry.
But will he be able to maintain this glory and glory forever?In the face of the rapidly changing times, how should Liu Chuanzhi respond?
Around 2000, with the rapid development of the Internet in China, many emerging brands have sprung up one after another, and they all want to gain a place in this market.
Just when the electronic information industry ushered in a new round of rapid development, Lenovo, the industry leader, suddenly became very cautious about research and development. No longer developing new technologies is not a wise decision for an electronic information company.
Is Lenovo in financial trouble?Or is it a tough problem for the R&D department?In a talk show in 2010, Liu Chuanzhi gave the answer.
In a talk show held by CCTV, a viewer asked Liu Chuanzhi such a question: Do you think it is "technology first" or "**first"?Liu Chuanzhi chose the latter without hesitation, and he even said bluntly:"I resolutely refuse to engage in core technology. ”
You must know that Liu Chuanzhi himself is a scientific researcher, and Lenovo initially relied on continuous research and development and innovation to achieve today's achievements step by step.
Is it against his original intention to make such a decision at this time?Or did Liu Chuanzhi never want to become a company that made money on technology from the beginning, but just wanted to make more profits?
If we look back at the past from the perspective of today's people, we will think that the decision made by Liu Chuanzhi is very stupid, because we stand in the perspective of God, we have seen the importance of core technology, and we have also seen that Huawei and Xiaomi are gradually becoming bigger and stronger with their core technologies.
But at that time, Liu Chuanzhi was faced with a very difficult choice, either to invest a lot of money in the research and development of his own core technology, or to rely on foreign countries.
Research and development of core technologies, if successful, will inevitably be resisted by the United States, after all, the United States' scientific and technological suppression and blockade of China are obvious to all, can Lenovo withstand the suppression of this economic power?If it fails, it will not only lose all its money, but also cause the brand to suffer a heavy blow, and at that time, will it affect the normal operation of the company?
If we rely on foreign technology and manufacturing, we will lose our autonomy and will always be held by other countries.
At that time, China's electronics manufacturing industry was not well developed, and a large number of core components had to be imported from abroad, such as Samsung and Intel. The reason why they agreed to export these core components to China is that China's technology is immature and can only rely on them, and it does not pose a threat to their core technology.
As a developed country known for its science and technology, the United States has always been vigilant against China, and he knows that once China's science and technology surpasses itself, it will pose an endless threat to itself.
Therefore,If China really develops more advanced high-tech products, the United States will definitely strike hard。Huawei has been repeatedly stumped by the United States, and Meng Wanzhou's detention in Canada for nearly 1,000 days is the best example.
In such a dilemma, Liu Chuanzhi must choose a path from it, a path from which there is no turning back. As a shrewd businessman, Liu Chuanzhi completely gave up the research and development of core technologies after weighing the pros and cons. He chose not to touch the cake of American core technology, and only did a good job in sales.
This decision may not seem wise now, and it may even be scolded for cowering and not being brave enough, but there is absolutely no right or wrongNo one has the ability to be a prophet of the futureLiu Chuanzhi was standing at that fork in the road, unable to see the end of every road, and completely unaware of what danger lay ahead, so his choice could not be judged by simple right or wrong.
Of course, Liu Chuanzhi must also accept the price of this choice - losing core competitiveness, gradually being replaced by other brands, and losing more market share.
After Xiaomi and Huawei entered the market, Lenovo's position was seriously threatened, after all, Xiaomi and Huawei have more advanced technology than Lenovo. Consumers' eyes are bright, and at the same price, consumers will inevitably choose more advanced products.
Now, more than ten years have passed, and Liu Chuanzhi's concerns back then have come to fruitionHe didn't have the courage to challenge the core technology of the United States, but Ren Zhengfei did.
Although in the process of developing core technologies, Huawei has suffered many obstacles from the United States, experienced many hardships, and even almost died, but it is gratifying that in the end, Huawei not only survived, but also went further and further on the road of innovation and self-research and development, gradually got rid of the scientific and technological blockade of the United States, made outstanding contributions to China's scientific and technological development, and even became a shining business card of China facing the world.
Huawei has personally proved that this path is feasible, and Chinese brands can develop their own core technologies and high-tech, so what choice will Lenovo make next?
At the end of the 90s of last century, Liu Chuanzhi had a very famous argument with Ni Guangnan, the chief engineer of LenovoIt is believed that it is necessary to develop the advantages of China's developed manufacturing industry and expand the volume of manufacturing and sales
Ni Guangnan insists on technology, believing that we should consider long-term interests and put more funds and energy on the research and development of chip technology.
In the end, Liu Chuanzhi won, and Ni Guangnan resigned from the post of chief engineer. However, over the years, China's electronic information industry has undergone earth-shaking changesAny smart brand can realize that core technology is the foundation of its existenceFacts have proved that Ni Guangnan's point of view is correct.
Liu Chuanzhi once expressed his regret for the decision of the year, and the root cause was because he did not have Ni Guangnan's far-sighted keenness, nor did he have Ren Zhengfei's determination to face difficulties and admit defeat, which caused Lenovo to go from glory to decline, from the former electronic information giant to a computer assembly company with almost no research and development capabilities.
After realizing these problems, Lenovo also made changes and began to transform in line with the trend of the times.
In 2019, Liu Chuanzhi retiredThis year, he was 75 years old, and Liu Chuanzhi handed over the baton of Lenovo to Yang Yuanqing. Will this young CEO be able to lead Lenovo back to its original glory?Will he adhere to the principle of "first", or will he learn lessons, keep pace with the times, and actively follow the trend of the development of the times?
In April this year, Lenovo Group held a group pledge meeting for the new fiscal year in Beijing, at which CEO Yang Yuanqing announced five goals for the new fiscal year, the second of which is: the first in the industry"New IT".Forward-looking concept, focusing on the five key elements of "device-edge-cloud-network-intelligence", the goal of doubling R&D investment in the medium term has been established.
Not only that, in the past three years, Lenovo has added a total of 8,800 R&D personnel, which means that Lenovo Group is no longer complacent, and has begun to embrace new technologies and new developments, and has also understood that only core technology is the foundation of life.
We are confident that with the strong support of the state policy and the joint efforts of the people of the whole country, China's scientific and technological development will rise steadily and develop in a more independent, advanced, and high-tech direction.
Looking at Lenovo's development strategy for many years, we can conclude that innovation is the first driving force to lead development, and only by continuously strengthening innovation capabilities can we improve the core competitiveness of enterprises, and can we go further and further and more stable.