Coinciding with the UAE Innovation Month, The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) organized the Innovation Scientific Day in its Dubai office, and invited government entities and university students. The event was held in the presence of H.E. Majed Al Mesmar, TRA Deputy Director General for the Telecommunication Sector, and with the participation of a number of TRA strategic partners from the private sector. TRA Innovation Day witnessed a number of activities that highlight the importance of innovation today, and its role in achieving the country's goals in various sectors such as education, health, transportation, and others.
In his opening speech, H.E. Al Mesmar welcomed the attending guests and thanked them for participating in the Innovation Science Day. He said: “The importance of this forum lies in the diversity of visions, experiences and perspectives. You represent different experiences that collectively provide a clearer and more solid picture of how to transform innovation into practice, culture and lifestyle. In this rapid time, as developments accelerate, innovation is not only a need for growth, but also a necessity to survive. Today we can say with confidence that survival is for innovative thinkers. This is a fact supported by figures and facts. According to a study issued by McKinsey Global Institute in this regard, 80 per cent of executives believe that their business would fall behind if it continues in the same pace, while 84 per cent said that enduring requires the development of innovation and regeneration strategies.”
H.E. Al Mesmar highlighted that we live in an unprecedentedly changing world, in which we need intuition and vigilance, critical and analytical thinking, and focus on efficiency, effectiveness and results. He added: “We need the youth, their creative energy and their ability to communicate, using the tools provided by the Internet and communication channels. We need to share, interact and instill team spirit in all sides and at all levels as in our meeting today. We need to make positive competition a part of our daily practices, whether in the classroom, in the workplace, or in life. We also need to keep abreast of all updates in this world that is changing at a tremendous speed. Today, slowing down is not an option as one step of reluctance means one step behind.”
H.E Al Mesmar emphasized the importance of innovation to achieve leadership. He said: “Our wise leadership has chosen innovation as a way of life. Our government has worked to make innovation a daily practice, at home, school and work, to ensure the UAE’s leading position among the developed countries. The wise leadership decision to hold the UAE Innovation Month in February is an affirmation of the leadership approach to achieve the UAE goals in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the UAE, we innovate to make our people and all the peoples of the world happy.”
The Innovation Scientific Day agenda included a number of activities where the participants learned about the importance of 5G in the world of innovation, and its great potentials in various fields, as the great speeds provided by the new generation help to create new solutions to various challenges. Huawei gave a presentation on the role of innovation in the world of digital applications. Dr. Slim Saïdi from Rochester University of Technology spoke about the Internet of Things and its link to innovation. During the event, Dr. Nawaf I. Almoosa from the Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC) presented success stories and lessons learned in innovation, and Professor Prof. Nihel Chabrak spoke about the role of the UAE University Science & Innovation Park in supporting innovation and creativity.
The UAE ranked first in the Arab region in Global Innovation Index 2019. Innovation is a main component of the national pillars of the UAE Vision 2021 under “United in Knowledge”, which seeks to achieve a diversified and flexible knowledge economy led by skilled Emirati competencies and strengthened by the best experiences to ensure the long-term prosperity of the UAE and its people.