Technological advances present Papua New Guinea with enormous opportunities to develop its own solutions to the challenges it faces. This month’s Innovation PNG Conference and Expo is about encouraging the culture to create the necessary innovation.

As part of the lead up to this year’s Innovation PNG 2025 conference, POMCCI and Business Advantage International hosted the Women in Tech breakfast, where panellists spoke about their experiences as women in industry. Credit: BAI.

Innovation, simply put, is the solving of problems by using new ideas, methods and tools.

PNG has a great example from its own history. Some 9000 years ago in the Waghi Valley, near what is now Mt Hagen, some tribespeople first decided to drain and divert water in the Kuk Swamp so they could plant taro and create a more reliable food supply. Thus, PNG became one of the earliest places on the planet to show evidence of agriculture.

Today, PNG is still innovating, this time in response to the worldwide digital revolution.

While the technologies deployed may be very different, the driving motivation – to employ new thinking to solve existing problems —is the same.

This is where Innovation PNG, Papua New Guinea’s festival of technology and innovation, comes in.

It will take place for the third time at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby on 27-28 March.

Launched in 2019 to help foster a culture of innovation across business and government, Innovation PNG is both a conference and an attempt to encourage a conversation about how Papua New Guinea solves its own problems.

Dynamic program

The co-hosts, the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry (POMCCI) and Business Advantage International, have put together a full and dynamic program to inspire, educate and inform you to innovate in your own organisation, no matter its size.

The conference will hear from inspiring small and large PNG businesses, as well as government agencies, on how they are rising to the innovation challenge.

It will also bring international experts from around the world to PNG to share their insights and knowledge. These include Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert and futurist Mark Pesce, and representatives of some of the world’s most innovative companies, including IBM, Xero, Affinsys AI and Visa.

In addition to no less than seven international keynote speakers, the event program will feature workshops, case studies, question-and-answer sessions and a full expo where the latest technology will be on display.

Hot topics

Some of the hottest topics currently being grappled with by business and government leaders will be up for discussion: not only AI but also cybersecurity, digital services, online payments, fintech, sustainability, productivity and funding innovation.

Finally, we’ll be celebrating and rewarding some of PNG’s leading innovators at the special Gala Awards Dinner.

It’s been exciting to help curate this unique event, which is now almost upon us. We believe we’ve created a program that will appeal not only to current leaders but also the generation of leaders to come. All organisations are encouraged to not only send their senior executives but also their youngest, best and brightest.

You can find out more about this exciting event and how you can participate at www.innovationpng.com.

POMCCI and ourselves look forward to seeing you there.

Andrew Wilkins is Publishing Director of Business Advantage International.