Innovation is crucial to long-term success for sustainable economic development and improved quality of life in the country, said Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Dato Seri Setia Shamhary Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha on Saturday.
The minister, during a keynote address at the 2nd Anniversary Celebration of the Brunei Innovation Lab (BIL) noted the progress the country has made, reflected in the Global Innovation Index 2023, where the Sultanate recorded improvements in education, ICT access, and science and engineering graduates.
However, he also noted room for improvement in research and development expenditure and knowledge-intensive employment.
“Innovation is crucial to our long-term success. Our challenge now is to translate these strong inputs into impactful outputs that will drive economic growth and societal benefits,” said the minister.
Meanwhile, the minister also highlighted BIL’s role in the Brunei Darussalam Digital Economy Masterplan 2025.
“In just two years, BIL has grown into a hub that nurtures technopreneurs by providing access to platforms for developing, testing, and bringing to market new ideas and innovations. By fostering collaboration between startups, enterprises, academia, and government institutions, BIL is shaping the future of Brunei’s innovation landscape.”
BIL Chairperson Haji Mohammad Shahnoel bin Haji Mohammad Noeh said in his remarks that since its launch, BIL has formed eight strategic partnerships, organized over 80 innovation-related workshops, and supported more than 1,400 participants.
“These efforts have resulted in 45 new ideas being developed, with 15 startups currently moving towards commercialisation,” he said.
Haji Mohammad Shahnoel also introduced BIL’s flagship Open Digital Learning Platform, KLIQ, which aims to enhance digital literacy across all age groups in Brunei.
Brunei Innovation Lab is a strategic collaboration between Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd, Shell Livewire Brunei, Datastream Digital Sdn Bhd (DST), and Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB).
