Principal Coordinator for SDG Affairs at the PMO Md. Abul Kalam Azad (4th from right), Managing Director of Anwar Group of Industries Hossain Khaled (1st from left), FICCI President Shehzad Munim (2nd from left), and Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Green Delta Insurance Company Limited Farzana Chowdhury ACII, UK (2nd from right) seen at a panel discussion on 'Innovation the Bangladesh Model' at a city hotel on Saturday Bangladesh Innovation Award 2018 has recognised 19 best innovations in an event at a city hotel on Saturday, recognising the vibrant community of innovators - from startups to established companies - and its breakthrough creations and ideas.
In order for innovation to take centre stage in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Innovation Conclave (BIC) put together the first Bangladesh innovation award, according to a statement.
Bangladesh Brand Forum organised the event, powered by MasterCard.
In celebrating successful innovations from startups and veterans alike, the award programme aimed to build the country's economy by acknowledging the creative mind, fueling innovation within it.
Bangladesh Innovation Award 2018 got 168 entries and the awards were given under nine categories and another special category. Awards were given in two ranks - Winner and Honorable Mention.
Two jury sessions were held to select the winners, where the entries were rigorously evaluated by renowned innovation experts of the country.
Pioneering innovations - be it products, services or processes - were judged on their novelty, market need, economic impact and disruption of the status quo.
The award ceremony was preceded by Bangladesh Innovation Dialogue which comprised of two keynote sessions and two panel discussions. The dialogue started with opening speech of Syed Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager, MasterCard.
Shariful Islam, founder of BIC, also spoke on the occasion and stressed, "Vision for Bangladesh Innovation Conclave is establishing that innovation must be at the centre of our discourse for Bangladesh's future progress, within all key stakeholders - policy makers, business leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, youth, academia and parents, and then working collaboratively to chart our future."
The main categories of the award were designed for sector-specific innovation which took place in financial sector, apparel sector, healthcare, SDG inclusion, process, product development, start-up, social and technology.
However, there was also one special category to inspire the core of innovation like reinvention of a product.
The keynote speakers of the dialogue were Varun Sakhuja, Director, Innovation Management- Mastercard Labs, Asia Pacific and Manoj Kulkarni, Executive Director, Nielsen South Asia.
Topics for the two panel discussions were - Innovation the Bangladesh Model and How Companies Should Drive Innovation, respectively.
The eminent panel discussants were Prof. Syed Ferhat Anwar, Director, IBA, University of Dhaka; KAM Morshed, Director, Advocacy for Social Change Information and Communication Technology Partnership Strengthening Unit, BRAC; Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Principal Coordinator, SDG Affairs, PMO; Shehzad Munim, President FICCI, Managing Director, BATB; Farzana Chowdhury ACII (UK), Chartered Insurer, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Green Delta Insurance Company Limited; Kamal Quadir, Chief Executive Officer, bKash Limited; Syed Farhad Ahmed, Managing Director, Aamra Technologies Limited; Syed Almas Kabir, President, BASIS; Hossain Khaled, Managing Director, Real Estate, Jute & Automobile Division, Anwar Group of Industries; Michael Patrick Foley, Chief Executive Officer, Grameenphone Limited; Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Managing Director & CEO, Robi Axiata Limited; Mahboob Zaman, Managing Director, DataSoft System Bangladesh Limited; Sabbir Hasan Nasir, Executive Director, ACI Logistics LTD; Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director, Dhaka Bank Limited; & Munawar Misbah Moin, Group Director, Rahimafrooz.
There was also a special dialogue session between BIC Founder Shariful Islam and Ayman Sadiq, founder of Ten Minute School. In this session, they have talked about why every youth should know and be ready for the innovation era.
The occasion also marked the launch of Bangladesh Innovation Blog and four Innovation Centres in four divisions -- Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna and Sylhet -- to help promote innovation across the country and people.
The event was held in partnership with the ICT Division of the government of Bangladesh, USAID and UNDP.
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