GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. Feature Address by Dr. the Honourable Rupert Griffith

Transcription

1 GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Feature Address by Dr. the Honourable Rupert Griffith Minister of Science and Technology Opening of TATT/UTT ICTs 4 Skills Development and Entrepreneurial for Young People Workshop Wednesday 5 th August 2015 at 8:30 am Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain

2 Salutations Senator The Honourable Fazal Karim, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training Ms. Ingrid Seerattan, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology Mr. Selby Wilson, Chairman, Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago Mr. Curtis Manchoon, Chairman, Board of Governors, University of Trinidad and Tobago Ms. Jacqueline Syms, Chairman igovtt Mr. Cris Seecheran. Chief Executive Officer, Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago Professor Dyer Narinesingh, President, University of Trinidad and Tobago Dr. Fazal Ali, Provost, University of Trinidad and Tobago Mr. Trevor Libert, Chief Executive Officer, igovtt Executive Management of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, University of Trinidad and Tobago, Ministry of Science and Technology and igovtt Young Leaders in ICT and Entrepreneurs Other Specially Invited Guests 2

3 A pleasant good morning to you all! It is an honour for me to have been invited by the Chairman of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT), Mr. Selby Wilson, to deliver the Feature Address at the opening of the TATT/UTT s 2 nd ICTs 4 Skills Development and Entrepreneurship For Young People Workshop. I must begin by congratulating TATT and UTT for partnering once more for this workshop which I know will be well delivered and also well received by you, workshop participants. I am always pleased whenever I am given the opportunity to address young people and to inform you about the many ICTrelated policies and initiatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology because I believe that a lot of good is happening in the ICT field and it must be made known. 3

4 The role that entrepreneurship and innovation through ICT play toward a growth trajectory for this country cannot be overlooked or understated. The urgency for countries to identify new sources of growth and develop a sustainable path to economic success remains high on our agenda. You see, ladies and gentlemen, we can no longer rely on natural resources to support long-term growth. Countries like Trinidad and Tobago must diversify its economy toward other sustainable avenues and Information and Communication Technology is one way that we can accomplish this task. At the Ministry of Science and Technology, we recognise that it is only through science, technology and innovation that we can enhance competitiveness, diversify our economy, and realise all the benefits of the rapidly expanding digital economy. A strong governmental commitment to ICT is one of several critical elements needed to help accelerate entrepreneurship and innovation. 4

5 In this regard I am proud of the role the Ministry of Science and Technology and its agencies continue to play in providing the right environment for science, technology and innovation to flourish. In 2013, Cabinet approved the National ICT Plan, , branded as SmarTT, which is focused on creating opportunities for all citizens and enhancing the quality of life for all. This plan is driven by Government s Medium Term Policy Framework which refers to the use of ICT as an essential element of the infrastructure, underpinning the creation of a modern, competitive economy in an information rich, knowledge and technology-driven world. Over its lifespan SmarTT will seek to realize benefits through five (5) thematic areas: Innovation and Human Capital Development; Access and Digital Inclusion; e-business and ICT Sector Development; Infrastructure Development; and e-government 5

6 Ladies and Gentlemen, quantitative research, along with real-world examples from emerging and advanced nations, firmly underscore the social and economic benefits of ICT. These benefits include increases in the pace and quality of innovations, as well as macroeconomic benefits such as per-capita GDP growth, job creation, and rapid improvements in labour and total factor productivity. This National ICT plan therefore equips us with the necessary road map to make the ICT sector a major contributor to GDP, in the shortest possible time. The pervasive use of ICT including hardware, software, applications, and telecommunications drives entrepreneurship and innovation in virtually every market sector, from farming to computing and government services. Here are some of the ways in which ICT supports entrepreneurship and innovation. ICT: Increases interconnectedness and collaboration; 6

7 Allows smaller, entrepreneurial companies to compete in global markets; Lowers the cost of entry for new entrepreneurs; Enhances the ability of entrepreneurs to develop new business models, products, services, and processes; and Facilitates faster access to regional and international markets My young people, as you can see, the benefits of ICT and innovation are undeniable. Therefore, it is imperative that Trinidad and Tobago uses technology to facilitate rapid development and distribution of new products and services to the global marketplace. Products like the one which was developed by Anthony Phills, a Caribbean entrepreneur are good examples of the use if ICT to drive innovation and entrepreneurship. Earlier this year, Mr. Phills who developed a savvy mobile app for Hilton Hotels which is making waves in the tech world globally. Working with Hilton's D3 and Mobileforming as lead Android designer, Phills redesigned the Honours from the ground up while incorporating Google's new material design through the overall look and feel of the application. 7

8 With the new look, users will be presented with a better user experience, bolder look, edge-to-edge photography during the booking process and a total redesign process of multi-room bookings with interactive cards. Well done Mr. Phills. Last week, the Ministry of Science and Technology hosted a One Day Camp, Camp Tech Savvy, for teens between the ages of years and the University of Trinidad and Tobago s Centre for Information and Communication Technology was present and hosted a booth. I must say that I was indeed impressed with some of the work that was on display. There, our young camp participants were able to do a Driving Simulation, created by Kevin Khandhai; a simulation of an Amerindian Village by Kimmie Wharton and a Virtual Campus Navigator, created by Brendon Bradshaw. These young people, all students of UTT and their applications are proof of what is possible through ICT and innovation. Congrats to them all and to the University of Trinidad and Tobago s Centre for ICT for having such a programme which allows students to learn and develop key ICT skills. 8

9 Another noteworthy ICT development is the android application created by Persons Associated with Visual Impairment (PAVI) in collaboration with the University of the West Indies. This application enables persons who are visually impaired to accurately identify Trinidad and Tobago s currency. The application facilitates the identification of money by passing the phone s camera over the particular note, and simply listening to the auditory identification. Ladies and Gentlemen, ICT and innovation also help governments operate more efficiently, thus providing a higher level of service and better use of taxpayer funds. To this end I am pleased that several Ministries and agencies have launched ICT-related projects to enhance delivery of services. In this vein, the Ministry of Science and Technology applauds the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training (TEST) on the recently launched the MTEST Edu-ID card, which is outfitted with business intelligence capabilities to improve the accuracy and efficiency of enrollment queries, and data analysis to aid policy decision making. I congratulate the Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training for his foresight. 9

10 Other Ministries and agencies have also launched ICT-related projects which are meant to enhance the quality of life of our citizens and also allow Government to operate more efficiently. We have the Ministry of Land and Marine Affairs GIS app and Ministry of Works and Infrastructure s mobile app just to name a few. Ladies and gentlemen, as you have heard, Trinidad and Tobago is advancing positively in the sphere of ICT and innovation. There are many projects which have been launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology. One of the many of which I am proud is this country s continued partnership with the government of Singapore to accelerate the delivery of e-services to all citizens. Through a Memorandum of Understanding we will foster greater co-operation and facilitate the exchange of knowledge in the area of ICT development, between Singapore and Trinidad and Tobago. This is expected to accelerate the implementation and roll-out of e- Government systems and services in Trinidad and Tobago over the next five years. 10

11 To achieve this, Government, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, has taken steps toward the upgrade of the Government s ICT backbone (GovNeTT 3.0), upgrade of the Government portal (ttconnect) which offers services such as user enrolment, authentication and soon Single Sign On (SSO) and ongoing legislative changes to facilitate online services, transactions and transfer of funds. The partnership with Singapore and the many expected outcomes is in line with our continued support of entrepreneurship and innovation, and if we produce as many great things as other emerging economies have, then we would have achieved much indeed. These are just some of the many examples where it is evident that ICT helps innovation. I therefore encourage you all to use the skills which you will learn over these three days to not only enhance your skills for professional development but to help build this great nation. Trinidad and Tobago is ripe with potential, but it is our task to not let such potential go untapped, or unnoticed. 11

12 At this critical moment, countries can choose to pull back, retrench, and focus on old-world business models, or they can choose to move forward, invest in the future, and accelerate entrepreneurship: we have chosen the latter. The current strategic point has arisen partly because economic globalization and advances in technology have significantly increased market competitiveness. Product life cycles are shorter, production costs are lower, and market demands change faster than ever before. In this environment, innovation the introduction of a new or improved product, process, or method is essential to drive growth, competitiveness, and employment. There is no longer a choice; innovation has to be actively encouraged and supported. This Government is committed to innovation-related investments, including ICT, education/training, and Research & Development, and in this regard I am happy today to see the partnership between TATT and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) for this workshop. 12

13 I must also highlight the work of NIHERST in this regard, and their recent development toward increasing innovation and funding for Research and Development (R&D) in Science and Technology, through the launch of the online Science and Technology Research Database for Trinidad and Tobago, aptly coined STResearchTT. STResearchTT plays a critical role in advancing the work of the Draft National Science and Technology Policy, as well as the preparation of a Country Status Report which will allow the local capabilities in scientific research and development to be matched to gaps identified from national science policy and sectoral policy documents. Also happening now is the Caribbean Youth Science Forum which is also spearheaded by NIHERST. CYSF, as it is popularly called, is a regional event which brings together Sixth Form Science Students from all over the Caribbean. Through this week-long event, the students are able to participate in workshops, field trips and interact with scientists. 13

14 This Forum seeks to develop innovative informal approaches and strategies to strengthen science and technology education in the region, foster cooperation among Caribbean countries in science and technology popularization and encourage the pursuit of careers in science and technology. Ladies and gentlemen, investments such as these are not an alternative to mainstream development goals. Rather, they are vital to the development of the core infrastructure and future of every country. Investments such as these made by TATT, UTT, NIHERST will enable Trinidad and Tobago to develop a blueprint for sustainable growth and increase the likelihood of future economic success. My Young Leaders in ICT and budding Entrepreneurs gathered, I implore you to embody the promise of T&T: the idea that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard and see it through, you can succeed in this country. By fulfilling this promise, you too, can play a critical role in expanding our economy and creating jobs. 14

15 I urge you to use this Workshop and the opportunities provided here as leverage for your future start-ups, mobile apps, business models, graphic designs and more. With ICT, you have so many options. I thank you for the courtesy of your attention and may God bless you and our great Republic. 15