Pillar 1 - Innovation Ecosystem (April 24 - April 26, 2006 09:00 - 11:00 a.m.)
in·no·va·tion [ìnn? váy sh’n](plural in·no·va·tions)
n 1. origination: the act or process of inventing or introducing something new
2. new idea or method: something newly invented or a new way of doing things suspicious of fax machines and other technological innovations ec·o·sys·tem [éko sìst?m, ?ko sìst?m](plural ec·o·sys·tems) n organisms and their environment: a localized group of interdependent organisms together with the environment that they inhabit and depend on.
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Innovation starts with an idea or a thought. An idea or thought always starts on somebody's head, therefore innovation starts with people. The complexity of information and communication technology together with the seemingly evolving convergence of these technologies, naturally requires the relationships and exchanges of people with diverse expertise and knowledge. People however do not churn out ideas in a vaccuum. Even artists have to get some inspiration or some environment within which they derive a vision of their art.
Discussions of creating an Innovation Ecosystem must therefore start with "Who are the people, the players or characters within this ecosystem?" Who should be in this ecosystem? What are the traits of people who will drive this innovation? What competence, experience, educational background or expertise must they have? What institutions will they be coming from or even getting them together?
The other question will be "What constitutes this ecosystem?" What environment will get these people together? What will make them stay there and thrive. We need therefore to discuss places or centers, projects or events, relationships or networks, and even culture. A culture that nurtures excellence, dedication, commitment, failures or mistakes, and risk-taking.
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Pillar 2 - Technology Entrepreneurship (May 1 – May 3, 2006 09:00 - 11:00 a.m.)
You will get a formal introduction about this person we call the entrepreneur in your basic management class and your introduction to economics. Both subjects consider the role of the entrepreneur as essential in driving business and the economy.
Entrepreneurs are individuals who are always seeking out and taking on the challenge of responding to change. They are risk takers but not the wanton kind but the kind that take "calculated risks".
For Cebu to be an ICT hub, we need people deeply immersed in ICT to be entrepreneurs. We need technological builders to be business builders who deliver technology innovation into the marketplace. Technology innovators create products and services with value to the global market.
They generate profit and their profit growth must be sustained to generate jobs and improve the quality of life here in Cebu.
We have to ask these questions:
- How do we generate a mass of "home-grown" technology entrepreneurs?How do we bring successful technology entrepreneurs to Cebu?
- How do we help those technology entrepreneurs who are starting up?
- How do we convince those "technology geniuses" to be entrepreneurs?
- What programs should we implement to create the environment to bring or nurture technology entrepreneurs to Cebu?
- What support systems must we put up or invest in?
- Do we even have a list of these technology entrepreneurs?
- How do we identify these technology entrepreneurs?
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Pillar 3 The provision for a Critical Mass of Quality Professionals and Practitioners (May 8 – May 10, 2006 09:00 - 11:00 a.m.)
Even before the first Cebu Information Technology Summit, the issue of building the critical mass of human resource was at the forefront of the summit discussions. Today with the new competence, skills and knowledge requirement in the IT and IT-enabled sectors, the critical mass of human resource will play an even more important component of Cebu's journey to being an ICT hub.
But are we really talking about just the human resource directly involved in managing and creating products and services for IT and IT-enabled organizations? Entrepreneurs will need managers and supervisors, they will need good communicators, and specialized technologists for fabrication and instrumentation.
We need inventors. We need patent or intellectual property lawyers. We need accountants and financial analysts specializing in IPO and valuation of intellectual property and technology. Not only do we need technicians who can repair and maintain computers, we need professionals who can design and build IT infrastructures. Our software development industry need not only software designers and writers, they need system integrators, process development consultants, project managers, and product development managers.
In the business and finance areas, we need business and strategic planning facilitators, venture capital consultants, service portfolio managers, marketing consultants, Internet business consultants, and real estate developers.
Our educational system needs innovative strategies to achieve real improvements in basic education to improve our children's comprehension and communication. Our higher education must evolve from creating a mass of future employees to creating a generation of entrepreneurs and technologists creating value-added products and services for the global market.
A deliberate program must be instituted to increase our mass of PhDs and develop a crop of PhDs working for corporations or starting enterprises.
We should ask ourselves the following questions:
- How do we build the critical mass of not only ICT professionals but all the needed human resource
for our innovation ecosystem?Are there other alternatives aside from academe to build the critical mass of professionals and practitioners in Cebu? - Is there a way to deliberately create and nurture a society of inventors and innovators?
- How can we build social organizations geared towards creativity, inventiveness and innovation?
- Are our trade and professional associations geared towards supporting the ICT agenda? (Examples: PICPA, PICE, IBP, etc.)
- Do we have programs to bring Filipino entrepreneurs and technologists back to Cebu to form an integral part of our human resource or to stimulate the development of our human resource.
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Pillar 4 Legal and Financial Framework (May 15 – May 17, 2006 09:00 - 11:00 a.m.)
There's no doubt that government cannot extend assistance to the private sector without a mandate defined by law. Our ability to move within our innovation ecosystem and our economy is hinge on the environment that our national and local laws provide.
Tax and investment incentives even financial access is almost absolutely defined by our fiscal policies, investment and banking laws. The creation of our organizations and the ability of organizations to expand are encouraged or limited by our laws.
Our vision to expand beyond our shores to enter into global markets will force us not only to deal with our national laws but also the laws of the country we intend to trade with and intervening international laws and conventions.
We have to ask ourselves:
- What laws will help us take advantage of opportunities?
- What laws will enhance our capability to penetrate the global market?
- What laws will help build and nurture our innovation ecosystem, build the critical mass of professionals and practitioners, and create a generation of technology entrepreneurs?
- What laws or portions of such laws inhibit our Agenda?
- What laws do we need to pass or portions of the laws we need to amend to push our Cebu ICT Agenda or the National ICT Agenda?
- What mechanisms and programs will enable stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem to participate in the legislation process to frame pragmatic and relevant laws to further our ICT Agenda?
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