Innovation is the Path to Excellence Towards a Sustainable Society Webinar

In today’s digital era, innovation plays its leading role in social, economic and environmental transformation since within-sector productivity growth entails the adoption of new technologies and management practices that increase the efficiency of production while influencing the ways to influence behavior change among institutions and individuals. The concept of innovation significantly accelerated by the radical digital technology begun after the introduction of the World Wide Web and the digital transformation of the global economy has hardly been slow in the past 20 years. Since then, an integration of innovative technologies has been employed into all aspects of life, which fundamentally changes the way people study, work and live.

The use of machinery supersedes repetitive manual labor, renewable resources replace traditional energies, and creative tools are deployed to facilitate everyday life. Innovative technologies and ways of practices incorporate all socio-economic activity reliant on, or significantly enhanced by the use of digital inputs, including digital technologies, infrastructure and services for innovation and data. It refers to all producers and consumers, including government, communities and individuals, that are utilizing these digital inputs in their socio-economic activities. It would also affect the improvement of human capital in a way of how people acquire knowledge and then utilize in their daily life and workplace in particular. In general, innovative technological progress has been a key force behind sustaining economic growth, improving living standards and offering better health outcomes.

Even though innovation’s track record on the environment is mixed, new innovation has also contributed to lowering pollution levels and promoting greater sustainability, positively shaping sustainability trend in the economy. Furthermore, such economy enabled by innovative technologies is bourgeoning and growing under the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Ranging from cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT), 4IR related innovative technologies have radically transformed the concept, materials, and production patterns throughout business processes, while significantly changing ways of individual practices and even thinking. Designed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) – the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021 captures the innovation ecosystem performance of 132 economies and tracks the most recent global innovation trends.

In effect, Kuwait ranks 72 among 132 countries in GII 2021 improving its ranking by 6 places compared to the 2020 rankings. Compared to other GCC countries, the United Arab Emirates has the highest ranking in global GII index ranking 33 globally.

Even though innovation’s track record on the environment is mixed, new innovation has also contributed to lowering pollution levels and promoting greater sustainability, positively shaping sustainability trend in the economy. Furthermore, such economy enabled by innovative technologies is bourgeoning and growing under the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Ranging from cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT), 4IR related innovative technologies have radically transformed the concept, materials, and production patterns throughout business processes, while significantly changing ways of individual practices and even thinking.

HE the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Matar AlNeyadi, emphasized that: “Innovation is a way of life, as the United Arab Emirates has striven in the past years to invest in innovation as a national priority and is called to be an incubator for innovation and an incubator for the efforts of innovators and motivates and tightens their hands to bring out their creativity in all aspects of life, and seeks To develop everything around us for one goal only, which is to facilitate services, overcome the challenges facing the community, and provide the best for it.”

Dr Tarek Elsheikh, Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator to the State of Kuwait highlighted that: “Despite the importance of innovation in the society, it is important to look at the level of performance in terms of the innovation index, designed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) – the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021 captures the innovation ecosystem performance of 132 economies and tracks the most recent global innovation trends. In effect, Kuwait ranks 72 among 132 countries in GII 2021 improving its ranking by 6 places compared to the 2020 rankings. Compared to other GCC countries, the United Arab Emirates has the highest ranking in global GII index ranking 33 globally”.

“With the network of over 115 countries, UNDP accelerator labs have been experimenting and implementing development solutions to advance sustainable development in countries with different development challenges. I am happy to share the latest examples of UNDP’s technical support by bringing innovation and development solutions together.” – Said Ms. Jennifer Colville, Chief, Innovation Unit, UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States.

From her end, Dr. Nibal Idlebu, Chief of Innovation Section, UN-ESCWA said:“The formulation and implementation of national innovation strategy that enhances the National innovation System (or innovation eco-system) and links innovation to productive sector will strengthen knowledge-based society in Kuwait and  support the achievement of “New Kuwait”.

As it is worth noting, today marks the World Safer using Internet Day, and the "Safe Internet Day" aims to create a better and safer space, and the campaign aims to reach children, youth, parents, teachers, social workers, as well as industry, innovation and decision-makers, to encourage everyone to Play their part in creating a better and safer visual world.