Technology Innovation Pioneers, or TIP, reflects the UAE’s quest to drive innovation and support youth and start-ups to bring knowledge economies under the spotlight, a senior official said.
“The timing of this summit couldn’t be better as we celebrate Innovation Month and prepare for the UAE’s next five decades,” said DoE Undersecretary Mohamed Juma Al Falasi.
Moreover, hosting the summit at NYU Abu Dhabi signifies the important role of higher education institutions in fostering a culture of innovation and supporting knowledge-based investments.
The world has seen rapid technological growth in the last 50 years and it’s only going to grow further. The fourth industrial revolution has brought about unprecedented transformation in the way one lives, works and connects with each other.
The 2020s are going to see disruptive technologies take shape and become mainstream, he said.
It’s not too long when artificial intelligence, 5G technology, blockchain, Internet of Things, self-driving cars, and many such things will become a day-to-day reality.
“In the UAE we understand the importance of technology very well and believe that creating an ecosystem to support innovation and technology is key to a sustainable and secure future,” he said.
In this context, DoE works with a clear vision to maximise deployment of clean energy and investment in sustainable energy-efficient technologies.
Sustainability is top on UAE’s agenda and to achieve that, it is investing in the future generation and inspiring them to think and ideate.
With SMEs constituting a significant percentage of registered businesses in the UAE, and the world over, the role of entrepreneurship in promoting economic development and accelerating the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is obvious. In fact, entrepreneurships can be a driver of innovation, but can only achieve success if they are sustainable.
Sustainability and innovation are intrinsically linked because sustainability requires ongoing innovation, and innovative solutions that do not focus on sustainability – with long-term social and environmental goals – will be doomed to fail.
The answer to a lot of problems afflicting the world today lies in innovation.
In the recently concluded Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, it was discussed at length the role of youth, technology and community to achieve sustainability going forward.
“We are living in challenging times as the world increasingly grapples with climate change, growing population, depleting natural resources and so on. Original thinking and new ideas underpinned by technology, will help us find solutions to present day problems and overcome unforeseen challenges of the future. I would like to point out here that the future of jobs is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today, in the wake of increased automation and our growing reliance on technology.
“The jobs of the future are not going to look like the present-day jobs. What we need to focus on, therefore, is to equip the future generation to face challenges of the future job market and overcome them. The most important skills that will hold us in good stead are creative thinking, agility of ideas and an affinity for technology. The forecast is that entrepreneurship and gig economies will become more widespread.”
The UAE is working on creating a conducive atmosphere for innovation in a bid to be among the top 10 innovation leaders in the world by next year.
Part of the UAE’s Vision 2021 is to make the UAE a competitive knowledge economy and be among the best in the world in entrepreneurship to drive its economy.
The UAE’s National Innovation Strategy is aimed at encouraging innovation in renewable energy, transport, technology, education, health, water and space and its success has been underpinned by joint efforts of the public and private sectors.
Another example of UAE’s national future development plans is the UAE Centennial Plan 2071, which aims to make the UAE the best country in the world by its centennial in 2071.
In this respect, declaring 2020 as the year ‘Towards the Next 50 Years’ is not simply an insightful vision but a reflection of our leadership’s true belief in empowering and preparing the next generation to face all the challenges the forthcoming years may unfold while also enabling them to be a part of drawing a clear roadmap for the future, he added. -- Tradearabia News Service