COMMENT
The only problem is, the longer it goes on,
the more the region gets left behind.
Fundamentally, there are fewer and
fewer barriers to seeing a flourishing
of innovation – the Middle East has
youthful populations, better schools and
universities, more government schemes
than ever, and cheaper tools to learn skills
like programming or product design. But
still, it needs a push.
One may come from initiatives such as
the recently announced plan from Sheik
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice President and Prime Minister of the
UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to invest $1.5bn
into 5,000 startup companies, along with
even more money for education and
other areas.
But regional enterprises need not sit
idly by – they can do their bit to foster a
www.intelligentcio.com
FUNDAMENTALLY,
THERE ARE FEWER AND
FEWER BARRIERS TO
SEEING A FLOURISHING
OF INNOVATION –
THE MIDDLE EAST
HAS YOUTHFUL
POPULATIONS,
BETTER SCHOOLS
AND UNIVERSITIES,
MORE GOVERNMENT
SCHEMES THAN EVER,
AND CHEAPER TOOLS
TO LEARN SKILLS LIKE
PROGRAMMING OR
PRODUCT DESIGN
culture of innovation around technology.
Last year Gartner identified a trend it
called, in its own unique take on the
English language, “Techquisition” –
enterprises solving business problems not
merely by buying a product, but buying
the business behind it.
This might seem an extreme approach
– but it should be one that fits many
larger Middle East enterprises well. There
are no issues around long-term costs, no
risks around supplier failure – and all the
benefits of having complete control over
what might be a key technology.
Perhaps the lack of local startups might
be a problem right now. But I suspect
if regional enterprises put the word out
they were prepared to pay handsomely
for solutions to their particular business
problems, it might well encourage a few
people to start giving them more thought.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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