How Tech Leaders Can Turn Innovation into Business Growth – Insights from the GTLC Summit

Good morning, everyone. I’m delighted to discuss technology leadership and innovation, sharing both successes and lessons learned.

Business‑driven or technology‑driven? Most CTOs support the CEO and business, which is essential, but we must also think like CEOs to let technology drive business and earn the CEO’s "Yes".

AI has become a hot topic, with massive talent wars and high valuations, yet AI itself is not a bubble; its development will continue.

Innovation is no longer a gimmick—it is a core competitive advantage. Government‑led innovation should provide policies that enable commercial companies to innovate, not rely on funding projects.

Internet startups prioritize survival, so innovation often takes a back seat unless it directly supports the business. Traditional enterprises fear internet disruption but lack the talent and mindset to innovate effectively.

Large firms like BAT are transitioning from business‑driven to technology‑driven models, facing significant innovation challenges.

Foreign firms in China often focus on sales rather than innovation, limiting their impact.

Examples:

Microsoft’s research institute focuses on long‑term innovation, turning research into products like tablets and smartphones.

Microsoft XiaoIce, a China‑origin AI product, succeeded by adapting to local internet culture.

Google integrates research across divisions, quickly turning breakthroughs into products, and uses AI events as technology marketing.

Silicon Valley startup Force10 grew from a handful of engineers to 500 employees, driven purely by technology.

At Suning, innovation aligns with the company’s vision of "smart retail," using technology across online, mobile, and offline channels to deliver personalized services.

Key projects include a chat‑bot platform that not only handles customer service but also assists with sales, and AR/VR experiences that boost e‑commerce engagement.

Suning’s AI Lab provides foundational AI, NLP, and speech‑recognition capabilities for internal use.

Our Silicon Valley research institute, led by Stanford PhDs, advances AI, big data, and intelligent interaction, reinforcing that even in a business‑driven private enterprise, technology innovation is vital.

Technology leaders must elevate technology to a strategic level, ensure it creates value, and make innovation a routine practice—letting technology become the new driver of the future.

Thank you!