Investments in legislative and policy reforms, digital skills and literacy, human capacity development, and workforce reskilling and upskilling are critical for Namibians to fully leverage and harness the opportunities presented by the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).
This is according to Minister of Information and Communication Technology Peya Mushelenga, who officiated the opening of the 4th Industrial Revolution Expo, which commenced here Tuesday.
Mushelenga said platforms that enable advanced manufacturing of new materials will be required to strengthen manufacturing in the advent of Industry 4IR, noting that mechanisms such as offering economic incentives to future industries of 4IR technologies and targeted SMEs for 4IR businesses can be transformational and engender new engines of growth.
He also said securing energy supply is a critical factor in Namibia’s inclusive and green industrial initiatives, which is why the Namibian government is developing the high-tech Green Hydrogen synthetic fuels industry as a new frontier for economic growth, development, and, in the long run, water and energy supply security.
The minister further said evolving technological advancements mean new opportunities and challenges, which necessitate the development of a regulatory framework to accommodate the unfolding developments that the 4IR generates.
‘As a result, the Namibian government is working on finalising the consolidated National ICT Policy as well as amendments to the Communications Act to accommodate emerging trends in the sector,’ he said.
The expo themed ‘4IR as an enabler for Green and Inclusive Industrialisation,’ showcases emerging 4IR enabling technologies such as artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Big Data, Blockchain, the Internet of Things, Robotics, Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, amongst others, that are locally available through demonstrations and exhibits.
A total of 38 exhibitors are participating in the expo and they include Namibian start-ups, demonstrating their technological capabilities in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence and gamification, eenewable energy, e-learning, vurtual reality, e-commerce, logistics, and tech-accelerator enterprise support service
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
