[This is a sponsored article with MRANTI.]
Since 2019, the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) has hosted its annual E-Nation conference to build sustainable, innovation-driven entrepreneurship for the country.
E-Nation saw participants such as tech and social entrepreneurs, investors, academicians, corporates, policymakers, and government agencies.
Following the convergence of MaGIC and Technology Park Malaysia (TPM), the agency is now known as Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology & Innovation (MRANTI).
Bringing back its flagship event, the conference will be called I-Nation. MRANTI believes this event will strengthen its position as a research commercialisation agency, driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) agenda.
I-Nation will take place on November 29-30, 2022 at MRANTI Park, Bukit Jalil. The conference will revolve around the theme, “Global Reset: Tech for Impact”.
Day 1: Globalisation in a digital world
The I-Nation conference will comprise talks that focus on 4IR in line with environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals, such as:
- Economic Inclusivity;
- Supply Chain;
- Healthcare;
- Climate Change;
- Food Security.
Day one of I-Nation will kick off with a speech that poses the question: What can be achieved if countries were to become truly digital?
From changes in governing models to setting up virtual companies internationally, Taavi Kotka, former Estonian Government Chief Information Officer, and Head of the Estonian e-Residency Programme Council will lead this talk.
Did you know: e-Residency provides non-Estonians access to form a company in Estonia, along with other processes like banking, payment processing, and taxation, all without being a resident.
In terms of Malaysia’s landscape, the implementation of 5G infrastructure for our socioeconomic benefit can be seen as an example. Meant to accelerate the development of high-speed and affordable connectivity, businesses are also able to compete on a global scale.
5G connectivity is now being rolled out, and MRANTI Park already offers it to businesses that are leveraging its facilities.
Taavi will look into real-life examples of digitalisation in government taking place in the world today in his presentation.
Next up, MRANTI’s own Group CEO, Dzuleira Abu Bakar, will be taking the stage with other government leaders, including the Ambassador of Germany to Malaysia, the High Commissioner of India to Malaysia, and the British High Commissioner to Malaysia.
They will discuss examples of innovations that have helped propel economic growth in the respective countries they represent.
The session will also look at how innovations can be turned into policies and processes. This can be exemplified through MySejahtera, which was developed by a local IT company and implemented by the government to facilitate contact tracing efforts in response to COVID-19.
Moving on to the subject of climate change, day one will also cover talks that break down Malaysia’s establishment of a Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM). For context, the VCM is an exchange enabling companies to invest in climate-friendly projects and solutions happening in the market.
It’s an initiative meant to promote low-carbon business models, and to show how companies can innovate amidst the shift to environmentally friendly practices to slow down the effects of climate change. Some industries that can be commended in this area include renewable energy sectors, electric vehicle solutions, as well as projects in waste management, and energy efficiency.
The panel will feature Nithi Nesadurai, Director & Regional Coordinator of Climate Action Network Southeast Asia (CANSEA) Malaysia, and Vaibhav Dua, Partner at McKinsey & Company Malaysia. Also joining this discussion is Bryan Lim, Executive Director and Head of Healthcare at Khazanah Nasional Berhad.
Day 2: Raising B40 living standards, and exploring agritech in food security
Recently, a post on Facebook went viral of a story detailing how an entrepreneur selling teh tarik ikat tepi managed to change his fate, supposedly moving out of the B40 income group to T20. What can be done to help more of Malaysia’s B40 achieve a similar future?
Day two of I-Nation will feature philanthropist and founder of Yayasan Chow Kit Malaysia Dato’ Dr. Hartini Zainudin. She will be one of the speakers exploring the strategies for raising Malaysia’s B40 income and lifestyles.
Agriculture and farming methods have changed drastically in the past decade, and more people in younger generations are beginning to find this industry appealing, thanks to agritech.
At Vulcan Post, we’ve seen a durian farmer’s son implement 5G to detect freshly fallen durians, and ex-accountants growing Japanese musk melons in their Putrajaya IoT farm.
Technology can assist in optimising agricultural operations, along with increasing productivity and income generation, all while being eco-friendly.
Dr. John Tey Yeong Sheng from Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Institute of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies, and Wong Chee Chiew, Partner at Kearney Malaysia, will be joining a panel discussion to share their insights about agritech’s role in food security.
Other speakers at I-Nation presenting their views on sustainability include Dr Billy Tang, founder of People With Disabilities (PWD) Smart Farmability, and Lakshmi Lavanya Rama Iyer, Head of Policy and Climate Change at WWF Malaysia.
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On top of thought-provoking conferences, MRANTI states that I-Nation will be an experiential one, where participants can get involved in satellite events and exhibitions taking place at MRANTI Park.
If you’re interested in participating in I-Nation 2022, you can register your interest here with your details, admission is free.
Featured Image Credit: Dzuleira Abu Bakar, Group CEO of MRANTI
