Prof Nawaz Sharif, a world renowned personality in the study of technological innovation in industries, has observed that Bangladesh can cultivate technological innovation for bridging prosperity gap with rich countries in the era of globalisation, reports UNB.
"The big issue for public and private leadership is how to develop our capacity for winning the future through technological innovation. Cultivation of technological innovation is indeed imperative for globalisation of our industries," he said.
Dr Sharif was speaking as a voluntary resource person at a three-day professional development discourse in the capital.
Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) organised the programme styled 'The Professional Development Discourse on Technological Innovation Management for Enterprises to be Globally Competitive' from Friday to Sunday, inviting Dr Nawaz Sharif, also a professor of Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Dr Sharif said, "Technology is a game for the rich, a dream for the poor, and a key for the wise; it is the master key for competitive edge!"
Technological innovation has been the 'prime mover' for acceleration of the globalisation process, he observed adding that the industrial might of a country now depends on globalisation through technological innovation.
Noting that globalisation is the path for economic prosperity, the Bangladeshi expatriate professor said, "I believe globalisation is in the DNA of humankind. Studies show that in the global market place, the value of a product now depends more on the 'technology content' utilised to produce it, rather than its physical resources content."
"If Bangladesh aspires to be prosperous, she also needs to have an increasing number of her own global enterprises," he suggested.
The promises of technological innovation are rapid productivity gain, newer and better goods and services, and global positioning of enterprises, while its negative impact is that it remains in the backburner for small-and-medium-scale enterprises, Dr Sharif mentioned.
About Public-Private Partnership (PPP), he said the PPP is not a fad, but a necessity.
Some 20 technology executives representing leading enterprises in Bangladesh participated in the programme.
Prof Dr M Kamal Uddin, director, Institute of Appropriate Technology (IAT), Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET) joined the discourse as a guest.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the programme Sunday afternoon, Ashraful Islam, executive director, Bangladesh Computer Council said, "Technology is rapidly changing. So, we need to adopt new technological innovations for the country's development."
"We have to utilise expatriate Bangladeshi resource persons in enhancing our skills and competence to develop new technologies," he added.
Khandakar Rakibur Rahman, director general, BIM, who chaired the closing session admitted, "At this stage, we probably can't fully realise how essential the discourse is in our national interest, but we'll soon do it following this discourse."
