Boosting Huawei’s R&D employee experience
A new research centre blending global standards with a local touch
The Challenge
As a global leader in technology and innovation, Huawei sought to establish a cutting-edge R&D accelerator that would drive digital transformation. This dynamic workplace ecosystem would foster collaboration, experimentation, and industry partnerships across key sectors, supporting research and knowledge exchange while reinforcing Huawei’s commitment to Switzerland’s digital future.
The Outcome
An innovation & acceleration hub integrating state-of-the-art R&D facilities, a co-creation space for industry partners, and an agile environment that promotes breakthrough technology development. This future-ready workplace enhances cross-sector collaboration between the next generation of tech talent. By embedding flexible design principles, immersive technology, and an open-innovation framework, the lab positions Huawei at the forefront of digital transformation in Switzerland.
Enhancing the existing corporate guidelines
While designing Huawei’s new research centre in Zurich, we crafted a dynamic and vibrant work environment for over 200 staff that adds a local Swiss flavour to Huawei’s corporate workplace guidelines.
This centre, occupying 3 floors in a state-of-the-art building, is part of a network of research facilities spanning over 20 countries in Europe.
The Huawei Zurich Research Center focuses on the development and testing of new technological solutions applied to a wide range of industries like health, life sciences, telecomms, agriculture or tourism, encompasses a diverse array of areas fostering know-how exchange, connectivity and collaboration among different teams as well as with external partners from academia and the public & private sectors.
Open social and training areas alternate with labs, team clusters, collaborative hubs and quiet rooms offering confidentiality and concentration.
The design aims at finding a balance between neutral calm areas and warmer vibrant environments. The choice of materials, furnishings, illumination and finishes contribute to achieving this objective, while narrative visuals enhance the technological storytelling and brand presence in a playful way.
Additionally, research and collaborative areas incorporate cutting-edge technology and equipment to test innovations and guarantee ideal training conditions.
Arched elements, evocative of Huawei’s Chinese heritage, feature in various parts of the research centre; and in sino-symbolism they stand for change and progress.
Conclusion
Huawei Research Center offers an adaptable workspace that integrates human-centered design, flexible collaboration zones, and immersive demo areas, ensuring a future-proof environment for prototyping, testing, and scaling next-generation technologies.
By combining agile workspaces, smart office solutions, and dynamic meeting areas, this innovation hub enhances productivity and knowledge-sharing, making it a benchmark for corporate R&D centers worldwide.
Project executed by Integral
Photographs by Oliver Rust KO
