On 8 November, hundreds of delegates from business, government and the education/training sector will arrive at the Stanley Hotel, Port Moresby, for Innovation PNG 2019, Papua New Guinea’s inaugural innovation conference. We preview what’s in store.

Software, apps, drones, robots, ecommerce, eGovernment, digital banking, better internet, carbon neutral energy, developing new products … all these topics and more will be explored at Innovation PNG 2019.

The conference aims to celebrate and encourage innovation in all of its forms, from technology startups to the development of new products and processes, and the embracing of the digital economy.

An initiative of the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Business Advantage International, the one-day conference will be opened by PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape, and is endorsed by the PNG Government through its Department of Commerce and Industry.

The event will feature a variety of talks, discussions and activities aimed at inspiring, informing and entertaining delegates.

Keynote presentations from international experts, such as Deloitte Centre for the Edge’s innovation expert Pete Williams, Hewlett Packards’ Megatrends Ambassador Paul Burman, and PwC’s Telecom, Media and Technology sector leader, Mohammad Chowdhury, will provide insights into international trends and practice.

Hot topics

Meanwhile, special focus sessions will look in detail at various industry sectors and hot topics for PNG itself, such as e-Government, the opportunities that will flow from better internet, and innovation in education/training, banking and agriculture.

‘The real stars of the event will be the dozen or more hand-picked entrepreneurs who will be telling the stories of their own innovations in PNG.’

‘With internet in PNG getting a real boost from the Coral Sea Cable System and the Kumul Submarine Cable, this is the ideal time for business and government to come together and start focusing on the opportunities,’ said Rio Fiocco, President of co-host, the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The winners of the first-ever Innovation PNG Awards will also be announced at the conference. Designed to reward innovation in both small and large organisations, the awards will be judging by a panel chaired by Deloitte’s Pete Williams.

‘The real stars of the event will be the dozen or more hand-picked entrepreneurs who will be telling the stories of their own innovations in PNG,’ said Andrew Wilkins, Publishing Director of event co-host Business Advantage International. ‘From startups to big business, they will demonstrate that PNG is already a centre for innovation and is heading in the right direction.’

Encouraging innovation

In addition to Prime Minister Marape, the PNG Government will be represented by Communications and ICT Minister Rainbo Paita, who will be provide detail on the government’s policies for encouraging innovation.

Meanwhile, practical workshops will provide skills and insights on how to innovate in your own organisation, what low and no-cost tools you can use to make your organisation more productive, and how to handle cyber security in the digital era.

The conference will also feature an expo of some of PNG’s most innovative companies, and a demonstration area where delegates can experience innovations such as virtual reality and robotics for themselves.

Some of the organisations featured at Innovation PNG 2019

• Air Niugini
• Bank South Pacific
• Deloitte PNG
• Digicel
• Hewlett Packard
• IBS University
• MiBank
• New Britain Palm Oil
• National Information and Communications Technology Authority
• Pacific Adventist University
• PNG Biomass
• PNG Dataco
• PNG Science and Technology Secretariat
• PwC
• S P Brewery

Innovation PNG 2019 will take place at the Stanley Hotel on Friday 8 November. For the full program and to register, visit www.innovationpng.com.