Venkat Raman
With half of its population below 28 years of age, the Fijian Government is keen to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among its youth and make Fiji the Innovation Hub of the South Pacific over the next ten years.
That was the gist of the address by Industry, Trade, Tourism, Lands and Mineral Resources Minister Faiyaz Siddiq Koya, inaugurating the ‘Smart City Challenge,’ in Suva on Saturday, July 28, 2018.
Sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the concept, also called, ‘Hackathon,’ aims to engage Fijian youth in collaborative venture to use modern technology, including Analytics and Visualisation to create smart solutions.
Three Key objectives
Mr Koya said that the three key objectives of the Smart City Challenge are to initiate a process of innovation and collaboration to sow the seeds of an innovative eco-system; allow university students and industry participants to engage and network for mutual benefit; and develop innovative solutions to Climate Change, Urban Mobility and Municipal Markets.
The initial Challenge comprises twelve teams, six each representing the University of the South Pacific and the Fiji National University.
“The survival of a country and its industries in the future will depend on innovation and the smarter way of doing things. The Fijian Government’s Five-Year and Twenty-year Development Plans set the foundation for building vibrant cities and towns,” he said.
Improving the Environment
The Smart City Challenge will ensure that cities and towns adapt to modern global management practices, better urban management and fresh food markets and restructuring some of them as per need, he said.
“The Programme will also ensure that cities and towns promote Green Growth initiatives such as energy, effective and environmentally friendly transport systems, security for people, green building construction, technology advancement and new techniques for waste management, all aimed at promoting a clean and green environment,” Mr Koya said.
Traffic Management plans are a crucial component of the Smart City Challenge, he added.
He said that his Ministry will provide winners an opportunity to access funding to promote their innovative ideas and solutions.
The YES Programme
Mr Koya said that the winning groups will be presented with Pre-Approval Certificates for the ‘Young Entrepreneurship Scheme’ (YES) and provide training and mentoring opportunities with industry stalwarts.
YES provides grant funding for innovative, unique and commercially viable projects, he said.
“According to Census, half of Fiji’s population was below the age of 27 and 69% of Fijians are below the age of 40. This means we have a very young nation, which, if given the right resources and support, we will be able to achieve great feats,” he said.
“The vision of the Fijian Government is to establish and develop a talented and competitive workforce and equip young people with the knowhow to succeed in the modern workplace with the confidence of achieving greatness,” he said.
Industry Minister Faiyaz Siddiq Koya speaking at the Smart City Challenge
(Picture from YouTube)
