James Kon
Unified National Networks Sdn Bhd (UNN) is hosting a two-day Innovation Symposium at Radisson Hotel in the capital to provide a networking and discussion platform for stakeholders in Brunei and overseas.
Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha was the guest of honour at the event that began yesterday.
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy (Economy) and UNN Chairman Dato Seri Paduka Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Abdul Hamid was also present.
UNN Chief Executive Officer Dr Steffen Oehler said, “My core believe is that innovation is happening here and around us every day, in Brunei and everywhere in the world, and we should keep our eyes open and learn about that and get encouraged to do our part to support that.
“Each innovation in human history started with people which had not been satisfied with things around them and had the desire to change it for better. This led to new technologies and business models which are creating a new base and, sometimes, new challenges for the economy and society. Sometimes we are recognising these advances only in the retrospective. For someone like me looking back on my professional life it is amazing to see how much has changed in our lives and work due to innovation.
“Digitalisation, as part of the national objectives to provide a broader base for economic diversification, is a wide area where all our ideas should be welcomed and transformed in tangible first steps to result in solutions. The symposium is a platform to discuss it with partners and to connect the dots.
“Sometimes we look at the Googles, Apples and Amazons of this world and ask ourselves what is left for us to innovate. First of all, they all started with a handful of people with some wild ideas in a garage. Not all of them are still around.
“Innovation does not happen only in the sphere of Internet business; it happens in education – the way we teach and learn, in applied science – how we use materials and natural resources and even how we process the waste produced by industries and households. And I believe in the curiosity of young people, who care a bit less about the legacy and are not afraid to try out own ideas, and sometimes, to fail. For them, the glass is always half full, not half empty. This is a good environment for innovation.”
The Innovation Symposium features keynote presentations and panel discussions with both local and overseas information technology stakeholders. Around 100 guests are participating in the event with three public forums and one on invitation to focus on related topics and discuss smart nation aspirations.
