Telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co. has unveiled its first innovation center in Shenzhen for its self-developed HarmonyOS operating system as part of its broader push to foster a robust software ecosystem.

A ceremony marking the inauguration of the center was held in Nanshan on March 19.

Following the inauguration, Nanshan announced eight specific measures to support the development of the HarmonyOS ecosystem. These range from increasing HarmonyOS native app supply capacity and encouraging industrial agglomeration to improving the HarmonyOS native app ecosystem.

The innovation center is an important platform for Shenzhen to support enhancement of the HarmonyOS ecosystem, according to the city’s industry and information technology bureau.

It will provide partners with public services such as HarmonyOS-based software and hardware product testing and certification, adaptive transfers, promotion and brand building, and talent cultivation.

He Gang, chief operating officer of Huawei Terminal BG, said that 2024 is a crucial year for the development of the HarmonyOS ecosystem.

Statistics show that, so far, the number of devices equipped with HarmonyOS has exceeded 800 million. Nearly 270 partners have participated in the co-building of the OpenHarmony community, introducing over 510 products.

Earlier this month, Shenzhen also issued an action plan to support the development of HarmonyOS native applications.

HarmonyOS, or Hongmeng in Chinese, is an open-source operating system designed for various devices including intelligent screens, tablets, wearables, and cars. It was first launched in August 2019.

HarmonyOS, as a next-generation operating system for smart devices, provides a common language that allows different kinds of devices to connect and communicate and gives users a more convenient, seamless, and secure experience, according to Huawei.

The operating system has been released at a time when the United States continues to bar Huawei from accessing key American technologies and products in an attempt to lock the company out of the global 5G market.