Sagah: Innovation can drive socio-economic devt
KUCHING: The culture of innovation can drive socioeconomic development for communities and nation, says Datuk Roland Sagah.
The Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development said when it comes to innovation, it is not about coming up with something new, but about making things better, more practical and effective.
“We often think that innovation is strictly for scientists and technologists. On the contrary, many innovations that are utilised by you and I have come from non-technical people.
“If we look around us hard enough, I am sure some of us are innovative enough to improve or re-purpose things that we have lying around,” he said when officiating at a seminar on ‘Science, Technology and Innovation: Policies, Facilities and Way Forward for Sarawak’, here yesterday.
He said that innovation was not restricted only to physical items or machines.
“Innovation also improves processes and services. Encouraging innovations in business and services also gives us a competitive edge to meet the needs of our clients with forward-thinking solutions.
“Hence, we need to identify how we can create an environment which fosters research and innovation,” he said.
The two-day seminar aims to provide updates on federal and Sarawak government policies, framework, strategies and funding opportunities for science technology and innovation, as well as to provide a platform for Sarawak stakeholders to network with federal and state agencies.
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dr Annuar Rapaee, Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development permanent secretary Datu Kameri Affendi, Sarawak Research and Development Council general manager Dr Peter Morin Nissom, and Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Strategic Planning Division secretary Ruziah Shafei were also present at the function.