26th edition of World Congress on Innovation and Technology kicks off in Malaysia

George Town [Malaysia], September 14: The 26th edition of the World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT) kicked off at the Setia Spice Convention Center in Bayan Lepas of Penang state on Tuesday.
In the opening ceremony, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail SabriYaakob delivered a keynote speech, saying digital literacy "will increase awareness on the importance of technology adoption and innovation among Malaysians, in line with current developments that are happening around the world."
Ismail also said that science and technology-based measures played key roles in Malaysia's success, of which a good example is that utilizing new and innovative technology has helped ensure the country's recovery amid the pandemic.
Speaking of crises the world faces now, which he refers to "the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and rising issues pertaining to food", Ismail said digitalization is necessary in addressing the issue of climate change, food and energy security, and ensuring productivity and business continuity.
"The Government hopes WCIT 2022 can make history in accelerating the nation's digital economy by attracting more foreign digital investment to Malaysia, as part of our ongoing efforts to drive the technology and innovation sector," he added.
Under the theme of "Connecting and Transforming the World", the conference will last until Sept. 15. It features discussions with visionaries, captains of industry, government leaders, innovators and academics from over 80 countries, and the main topics include Smart Cities, 5G, Global Business Services, Inclusiveness and Economic Growth, as well as cybersecurity.
The conference is organized by the National Technology Association of Malaysia, in collaboration with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, the Human Resources Development Corporation and the Penang State government.
Source: Xinhua