For the second year running, Canon Middle East, a leader imaging products and solutions, led an expert panel discussion at 'Frontiers of Innovation Forum' in partnership with MEED. The forum stressed innovation as a UAE-led strategy that aims to advance cooperation in between the general public and private sectors developing the UAE as one of one of the most innovative nations on the planet.

A few of the senior industry leaders who participated in the forum included Anurag Agrawal, Managing Director, Canon Middle East; Richard Thompson, Editorial Director, MEED; Vikram Krishna, Executive Vice President, Head of Group Advertising & Customer Experience, Emirates NBD; Michael Gernon, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Innovation, R & d, GEMS Education; Shadi Bakhour, B2B Business Device Director, Canon Middle East; Mohamed Ahmed Abu Hamra, Manager, IT Application Management, Information Technology, UAE Region; DP World, Bhanu Shekhar, Chief Digital Officer & Head of Digital Solutions, GE Power; Karim El-Jisr, Director, Ruby Innovation Centre, SEE Nexus; Khaled Antoun, General Manager, Canon Emirates; Giorgio Flori, Managing Director, Accenture Middle East BV; and Thomas Bosse, Head of Programmes, Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence.

The speakers and panellists reviewed the UAE's Vision 2021 and innovation targets that aim to construct a diversified and competitive economy. There was an emphasis on the successive accomplishments for UAE to date; every one of which have added to improving its ranking in the 2017 Global Innovation Index to come to be the 35th most innovative nation internationally-- the first amongst all Arab nations. The conversation additionally revolved around the UAE government playing a vital role as an enabler of innovation.

The UAE's consistent performance in owning an innovation-led program has influenced numerous industries in the private sector to follow its leading example and implement techniques of their own. Sustaining the bigger narrative is bringing academia and the private sector together to collaboratively push the UAE's ambitious innovation objectives.

A vital outcome of the discussion was that innovation is vital in all industries, but also for a genuine impact to be felt, there has to be closer partnership between the public and economic sectors. This deduction likewise creates part of the UAE's innovation pillar 'United in Knowledge' of Vision 2021.

In his opening up remarks, Agrawal stressed Canon Middle East's commitment to lining up with the government's vision by taking advantage of the power of imaging options to support the UAE's smart city ambitions as well as the demands of today's generation of 'digital citizens'. He additionally restated that the objective of Frontiers of Innovation campaign is to bring government and services together to determine opportunities for cooperations that will certainly contribute to the UAE's Vision 2021 objectives as well as the National Approach for Innovation.

" It is common knowledge that whilst the difficulties of our world today have actually boosted complexity and presented numerous challenges, it has additionally produced chances and made a favorable impact on our lives and companies. Normally this opportunity could not be attained without accelerating the pace of adjustment and innovation whatsoever degrees. This has actually created a solid requirement and instructions for a regional procedure like ours to go for relevant innovation within our part of the value chain," stated Agrawal.

Various other significant highlights of the event consisted of 2 panel conversations on 'Detailing the objectives and objectives of the recently introduced Dubai Cyber Safety Strategy' and 'Innovation and the vital function digital transformation will certainly play in the advancement of UAE'.

On cyber protection, the panellists went over the hazards postured by malware as countries and organisations change to digitisation to improve operations and effectiveness. The focus was on the reduced level of recognition and methods carried out-- especially when it pertains to employees and various other business partners. Cyber safety is the responsibility of everybody in an organisation and awareness should be increased throughout the board for tighter safety and security. Application of clear policy and protocols are likewise essential.

Dr. Hani Ragab, Affiliate Professor, Heriot-Watt University explained that the UAE is a target for cyber-attacks due to the higher-income rates along with the recent push to digital modern technology in the public and private sectors. The panel emphasized that the UAE needs to continue implementing rigorous cyber security to maintain risks at bay.

The panel discussion on digital transformation discussed just how digitisation can boost productivity and sustain the shift toward the establishing seamless Smart Cities that accommodate the needs of future generations. Adopting digital modern technologies, like 3D Printing to print spare components as well as the complete products at some point, are altering the means services and federal governments operate. The UAE's government has actually already blazed a trail toward digital transformation with several initiatives, and the economic sector has also begun to follow suit. Nevertheless, the panellists stressed the have to transform way of thinkings concerning digital innovations in organisations from top to bottom, and to promote larger partnership in between industries for digital transformation to be truly transformational to cultures.

Clarifying the duty on how the private sector could play in driving the innovation schedule in the UAE, Michael Gernon, Senior Vice President-- Global Head of Innovation, Research and Development, GEMS Education claimed, that educators should prepare their pupils for future. It is time for us to believe that when our children will finish school the world will certainly be significantly various. The objective now is to be that every instructor prepares of future.

The other locations which were reviewed included the Smart Cities and the role of academic community and the private sector, consisting of SMEs, in owning the innovation schedule in the UAE in addition to the surge of fintech, crypto moneys and blockchain innovation.

On his part, MEED Content Director, Richard Thompson Said: "MEED is proud to have actually partnered with Canon on the 2nd edition of our Frontiers of Innovation Forum. We are really delighted with the interesting conversations that happened on the threats of cyber security, smart cities, entrepreneurship, digitalisation and owning innovation throughout the UAE."