Conference & Expo: Smart Nation: Curaçao objectives beyond 2020
To mark its 20th anniversary as a multi-sectoral regulatory authority, Bureau Telecommunication en Post (BT&P), hosted the Conference & Expo: Smart Nation, Curaçao objectives beyond 2020, held on 8 and 9 September 2016, at the Hilton Hotel in Curaçao.
With this conference & expo, BT&P aims to encourage the sustainable development of Curaçao.
This must fit in the dynamics of globalization and is conducive to policies based on the principle of Smart Nation.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly fast paced developing world and the resulting technological disruptions, countries as well as cities around the world are compelled to evolve to remain relevant. Curaçao is no exception.
Building on the established and addressed challenges and objectives during the 2013 conference held by Bureau Telecommunicatie en Post with the theme: “Harnessing the Power of innovation”, regarding ICTs and their transformative power in the development of a knowledge based economy and society in the Caribbean, the path has been set to take the next step. This entails taking a holistic national view at how to co-create a future of better living for all through tech-enabled solutions based on the principle of Smart Nation.
The Smart Nation principle
The Smart Nation principle is based on the vision of facilitating the opportunities that actively contribute to a smart digital economy and improved access to high-quality infrastructures and data, for organizations and the community.
In this regard the government acts as a catalyst in the development of Curaçao to a Smart Nation. Essentially this development is geared towards a secure integration of efficient management and optimum deployment of multiple ICT solutions, maximizing the countries’ assets for the benefit of vital government domains. Crucial in this process is the gathering, processing and analysis of information through strategic deployment of telecommunications and ICT. This is a precondition for the realization of quality improvement for citizens’ everyday life and leads to reduced costs on the whole while at the same improving interaction between citizens and the government on the one hand and citizens and the private sector on the other.
Subsequently, process improvement in this context goes hand in hand with rallying the collective efforts of people, businesses and government, leveraging on investments in digital infrastructures, a tech-savvy population and the government. To this end it is imperative that the government acts quickly on policy development and implementation issues to cope efficiently and effectively with the current and upcoming challenges of effective governance.
The conference “Smart Nation: Curaçao objectives beyond 2020” offers a platform to initiate this movement in Curaçao, to prepare, discuss ideas and concerns, tap into new areas of knowledge and propose actions to help Curaçao in the efforts of becoming a leading competitive society internationally and in the Caribbean with the help of technology.
Conference objectives
By organizing the Conference & Expo BT&P has taken the initiative to define an approach to unlocking the full potential of technology and ICT.
The following conference objectives were defined and leading throughout both conference days:
- To create and mobilize support for intensive collaboration between all stakeholders to accomplish Curaçao as a Smart Nation
- To create awareness about the current and upcoming challenges in the field of digital infrastructure, ICT, increasing data traffic and interconnectivity of equipment
- To anticipate on the benefits for Curaçao of a strategic deployment of worldwide technological developments
Conference target group
To maximize on the catalyzing effect of the conference the engagement of local stakeholders was reinforced with international expertise. Both local and international experts expressed their vision on how a “smart” use of technology, ICT and data can harness the benefits of a Smart Nation and make them applicable to Curaçao.
Among the invited, both locally as well as internationally, were members of parliament, regulatory authorities, the CTU (Caribbean Telecommunication Union), government officials, private sector entrepreneurs, ICT experts, telecommunications companies, “app” developers and programmers and representatives of all policy areas.
Top students of various high schools and universities in Curacao were invited.
With 260 visitors the conference was well attended.
Speakers
The conference offered a wide range of experts from Curaçao and abroad in the following fields of specialty: Internet of Things, Digitalization of Government systems, Cyber security, electric and electronic waste management, Big Data, Strategies for community digitalization and more.
Among the speakers were: Gary Schwartz, Prof. Marco Gercke, Lex Wils, Bas Boorsma, Sylvannas Berkeley, Devanand Ramsingh, Luis Guillot, Jonelle René Jones, Franklin Sluis, Alex Mollen, Craig Farrell and Krishna Doll-Oedjaghir.
Sponsors and exhibitors
Various sponsors extended their support to the conference and 7 exhibitors participated in the expo. Big international names such as Microsoft in collaboration with Inova Solutions, Huawei and IBM contributed as a sponsor. Additionally the conference was also supported by important local players in the market, among which, UTS, NuCapital, MCB, Flow, Cinex, CAP, Bearingpoint.
Among the exhibitors were present: NuCapital, Ams-ix, Flow, Antraco, Space Platform, UTS and Gisspider.
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(BT&P Publication period: 2016)
