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The Innovation Imperative for Small States — Global Issues


  • Idea by Riad Meddeb, William Tan (New York)
  • Associated Press Service

However, small states can also leverage assets in ways large states often cannot. For example, Singapore has learned how innovation and digital can drive growth.

Small countries are not passive actors in the traditional trajectory of development or innovation. They have the power and exciting agency to steer innovation in new directions.

This includes forging a new age of global innovation leadership – defining and setting global standards and innovation priorities, and shaping the comparative advantage of small countries in the world. innovation context.

Technological innovation based on policy innovation

Innovation does not work in a vacuum and governance is the main catalyst. This includes exploring how governance structures and processes can define, implement, and scale innovation.

There is a growing need to craft systems, culture and infrastructure not only embrace innovation but also become a part of it. Governments can ensure that new technologies interact with local priorities — and shape global solutions to fill these gaps.

This is not a destination but a journey; it is about create an environment to keep innovating.

Governance needs to respond to the constant evolution of technology. Some examples of such agile administration include specified sandboxresults-based regulations and a testing ground for global innovators (although small countries must not ‘just’ test innovations but co-design them).

Flexibility also comes from data-driven innovation and data innovation. Here, governments can shape both the underlying data infrastructure, while leveraging data to accelerate innovation – through initiatives like UNDP SIDS Data Platform. Such insights can then become part of a ‘feedback loop’ to inform policy and service design.

We need to focus on results, not solutions

There is a need to shift priorities towards the positive outcomes of innovation – whether driven by cutting-edge technology or thrifty innovation, communities and entrepreneurs or corporations and governments. Each configuration leads to greater success in different contexts and reaffirms why we need to be led by problems, not solutions.

Small countries that share unique challenges do not necessarily meet established technological ‘answers’, and there are broader positive multipliers that emerge when innovating to these challenges. .

Small states have the advantage of size; coordination can be faster and businesses can more easily coordinate with government to harmonize innovation priorities.

It is especially important to really recognize that innovation cannot be done by government alone. The private sector plays a particularly fundamental role – including smaller businesses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred digitalisation, and many entities are now realizing that they can no longer do business the traditional way.

In Singapore, this shift is accompanied by a focus on building the adoption base of digital tools through ‘CTO-as-a-service’ platform in the ‘SME Go Digital Program’. Since 2017, more than 80,000 SMEs have adopted programmatic digital solutions.

We need to build and strengthen local efforts and small state capacity

Innovation must be led and owned by locals — and this starts with human capital development. Brain drain is a huge struggle for small countries and solving this problem is an urgent task for governments.

Small states should seek to shape strong curricula in local youth schools, as well as develop cutting-edge STEM services to encourage innovators to contribute to their countries. .

For example, Singapore’s Tech Skills Acceleration Initiative has helped more than 7,000 companies hire, train and retain tech talent. It has placed more than 12,000 Singaporeans in technology roles, while an accompanying framework assists businesses in recruiting global talent with in-demand skills.

At the same time, innovation is not the product of financial investments or discrete initiatives; it emerged from complex interactions between the public and private sectorsshaped by the institutional frameworks associated with human capacity development, research and development, and business support mentioned above.

Singapore’s National Platform for Digital Innovation, Open Innovation Platformprovides professional consulting support to help companies diagnose business challenges, identify problem reports, and crowdsource solutions from 12,000 private sector solution providers.

The government also plays an active role to support startups in the growth phase. Through the [email protected] and SGD Spark programs, third-party assurances of a startup’s ability to deliver its products and results, and to connect them to government and enterprise.

Innovation is not an option for small countries

The challenges facing small countries match the potential that innovation and digital technology can bring. And part of this is the role and importance of learning from each other.

The Singapore Cooperation Program (SCP) extends technical assistance and shares Singapore’s development experience with developing countries. In its 30th year in 2022, SCP has welcomed nearly 150,000 foreign government officials to its programs.

In 2021, Singapore rolled out a “FOSS for Good” technical assistance package to address small countries’ unique development priorities – including digital transformation in the areas of health, education and public administration. UNDP is an important partner in this program.

Such shared learning and collaboration opportunities, combined with the broad support of initiatives such as the UNDP Global SIDS Incentives, will be critical to ensuring that small countries build Build and maintain global innovation leadership.

Not only in the face of constant shocks and crises, but also to take advantage of opportunities where innovation can positively change lives and livelihoods.

William TanDirector, Department of Technical Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore & Riad Meddeb Interim Director, UNDP Global Center for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development

Source: UNDP

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© Inter Press Service (2022) — All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service

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