Innovation Stakeholders Consultative Conference kicks off in city.

Prof Dr M Nawaz Sharif, a US-based internationally famed expert on technological innovation and technology transfer, on Wednesday said local enterprises need to grow fast for the country’s sustainable development. “For sustainable national prosperity, local enterprises need to be part of global value chain and become global corporations,” he said.

Dr Nawaz Sharif shared his insights on the necessity of technological innovation and its management for a prosperous economy at a conference titled ‘Innovation Stakeholders Consultative Conference’ arranged by Daffodil International University at Daffodil Tower in the city’s Dhanmondi area.  Around 50 representatives from 15 public and private organisations attended three sessions on the first day of the two-day conference.

Dr Sharif said the conference is designed to formulate Bangladesh Industries Globalisation Initiative (BIGI) for integrating Bangladeshi industrial enterprises in global value chain.He stressed the importance of a collective approach for adequate development saying, “We need to improve the collaboration among stakeholders (Government and other corporations) for improved innovations.”

Dr Sharif also underlined the need for technological advancement and said technology is essential for development in today’s competitive world. “Technological innovations have emerged as the master key to competitive advantage. Developing countries can also innovate by properly using their brainpower,” he added.

Dr Nawaz Sharif further mentioned that analysing the industrialization patterns of developed countries reveal that late developers must complete three tasks — making industrial enterprises an integral part of global value chain, having their own digital industries and setting course to start their own global corporations.

Chaired by Chairman of Daffodil Group of Enterprises M Sabur Khan, the conference was attended by Industries Secretary Md Abdul Halimas as the chief guest. DIU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Yousuf Mahbubul Islam also spoke on the occasion.  Prof Dr M. Nawaz Sharif is the Principal Consultant for Technology Management in Myriad Solutions Inc, Maryland, USA.

In the recent past, he served as an Adjunct Professor in the Engineering Professionals Program of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and a Visiting Professor in the Project Management Program of the George Washington University (GWU).Earlier, he was a Management of Technology Chair Professor and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (Provost) of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) of Bangkok, Thailand.

He also served as the Director of the UN-ESCAP’s Asian and Pacific Center for Transfer of Technology (APCTT), Bangalore, India; and a Doctoral Program Director of the Graduate School of Management and Technology (GSMT) at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), Adelphi of Maryland.

Source (TAA)