Bloomberg reports that Huawei is the only funder of a research competition managed by Washington-based Optica Foundation, a non-profit entity that provides resources to those researching optics and photonics.
The competition first began in 2022 and has awarded millions of dollars. It attracts proposals from scientists the world over, including those from leading US universities that have severed ties with Huawei, such as Harvard.
Optica “shall not be required to designate Huawei as the funding source or program sponsor,” reads a nonpublic document reviewed by Bloomberg.
That contrasts with the approach taken by the company in European countries where it doesn’t shy away from plastering its name on the scientific hubs run by it.
Optica’s CEO Liz Rogan notes that some of the foundation’s donors, including those from the US like to remain anonymous, and “there is nothing unusual about this practice.”
The foundation’s policy isn’t believe to violate the US Commerce Department regulations that bar anyone from sharing technology with Huawei. Some of the resulting research may have defence and commercial relevance though and could help the company recruit people by sponsoring those it finds promising and buying intellectual property from their research.