CIOs key to nation's digital transformation

Chinese enterprises are expected to invest more in digital transformation to fit the country's national strategy during the 14th Five-Year Plan period from 2021 and 2025, according to researcher Gartner.

The business and IT transformation will meet the new trends and demands in China, such as innovation-oriented development, modern industrial system, dual circulation, deepening reform and opening-up, according to Gartner’s report on how chief information officers (CIOs) must leverage the 14th Five-Year Plan to succeed in China.

Technology innovation has become the most important driver of growth in China. The government is promoting self-reliance and self-strengthening in technology and innovation, boosting sectors such as ultra high-voltage electricity transmission, intercity rail lines and electric vehicle charging facilities, 5G, big-data centers, artificial intelligence and the industrial Internet. 

“Innovation is a key driver of modernization. CIOs can contribute and guide business decisions, otherwise planned IT initiatives will become irrelevant and out of date,” said Owen Chen, a Gartner analyst.

China’s IT infrastructure spending this year will hit 3.04 trillion yuan (US$468 billion), a 7.2-percent growth from a year ago, higher than the global growth of 4 percent, Gartner said previously.

Some innovations are worth mentioning in China, such as data analysis, industrial Internet, RPA and cloud, said Gartner.

RPA, or software robotics, is a form of business process automation technology based on software and AI innovations. It’s one of the fastest growing technologies for digital transformation in China.

In cloud infrastructure and application, China is still lagging behind the US. Tech giants such as Alibaba, Tencent and Huawei may dominate the domestic market in several years with their rich resources, said Gartner analyst Kevin Ji.