Muscat: Oman can benefit from cooperation between government, industry and research institutes when it comes to promoting innovation in logistics, research and maritime activities.
This was one of the messages delivered by speakers during the first day of the Business Innovation Forum on Monday, organised by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Muscat and under the patronage of Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The forum brought together many Omani and Dutch stakeholders in logistics, academia and industry.
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said he sees many opportunities coming from this forum, noting, “As Oman is strongly positioning itself as a gateway for logistics and trade, I think there is so much [to gain] in terms of building a cluster of support for businesses, start-ups and SMEs. There is much to benefit from our Dutch friends.”
Barbara Joziasse, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, told the Times of Oman that logistics, in particular, is a field which demands cooperation, keeping in mind the interconnectivity of problems faced in the sector. She said the Netherlands would like to bring to Oman the Dutch open cooperation model, in which stakeholders can deliver the innovation necessary to make economic progress.
“An example of an issue which, together, we can find a solution for, is the handling speed of goods in ports. You have to cooperate here to find the best solution, you can’t do it on your own,” she said.
Mark Frequin, Director General for Mobility and Transport at the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, said he hopes to offer “a lot of knowledge about the way we face the same issues as Oman. How can help you create more economic activities making use of the advantages you have, such as geographical location, port facilities and a government which is eager to invest.”
Frequin provided examples of how to compete and cooperate with neighbouring ports and the importance of seamless logistics.
“In the Netherlands, we earn by moving fast. Every destination within Europe can be reached within a day,” he said.
He introduced the system of collaboration between stakeholders, as alluded to by Joziasse, which enables progress in the field of innovation. Referring to the Dutch polders, lands below sea-level recovered from the sea, he said,“We can’t make progress without cooperation between all the partners that recovered the land”.
This now applies to the three partners who are important to the field of innovation: government, industry and research institutes. “You can’t make any progress if you don’t have close cooperation between these three partners”, he said. When asked about his response to the proposed dialogue between government, industry and research, Al Busaidi said such discussions are beneficial to the economy.
“Our strategic aim is to sustain a dynamic and diverse economy. And that undoubtedly requires collaboration between all stakeholders to fulfil that aim. The more we are able to facilitate access to data, information, applications and training, and facilitate a much more effective and efficient support system, the more the environment is conducive for business to flourish and grow,” he said.
Michiel den Hond, Special Envoy of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said this forum is a next step in advancing the already strong relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
“Especially in the field of transport and logistics, the Netherlands has, throughout its history, developed an enormous amount of knowledge. This field is where we can offer a new boost to our bilateral relations, bringing it to a new level of cooperation,” he said.
Den Hond added that many areas can benefit due to this forum.
“It’s spreading into many different areas. It’s about technology, but it also has an educational aspect; there’s no limit to the side issues related to this forum.”