Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), through its Enterprise Office, hosted a forward-looking forum titled “Universities as Catalysts: Strengthening Brunei’s Innovation Ecosystem for STI-Led Development”, highlighting UTB’s pivotal role in advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable growth in the nation. The forum was held at the Lecture Theatre, Level 1, School of Applied Science and Mathematics, UTB.
Present as the Guest of Honour was Yang Mulia Dr Mohamad Saiful bin Haji Omar, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (External and Industry Relations). The forum featured Yang Mulia Dr Claudio A. Rivera, Director of Academic Affairs, Riga Business School, Latvia, an international expert in innovation ecosystems, higher education reform, and cross-border collaboration. With over 20 years of global experience in education, entrepreneurship, and policy, Dr Rivera shared insights on “Reimagining Innovation Pipelines: Ecosystems and the Human Factor in Small-Nation Futures”, demonstrating how small nations can thrive by rethinking innovation beyond technology and leveraging human and ecosystem factors.
Distinguished panelists included Yang Mulia Dr Mohamad Saiful bin Haji Omar, UTB; Yang Mulia Chai Roslin, Brunei Innovation Lab, who has extensive experience in building innovation ecosystems and bridging technology with market opportunities; and Yang Mulia Dr Rachelle Sarmiento, Dean, JPMC College of Health Sciences, a seasoned health education leader and researcher with over two decades of experience in clinical practice and academia.
Other panelists included Yang Mulia Awang Asnawi Faisal Hj Khamis, Development Economist & Principal Consultant, Pinecone Consultancy, an expert in macro and development economics with extensive regional and international consulting experience; Yang Mulia Dr Yong Soo Keong, Senior Assistant Professor, Applied Economics and Policy, UBD, a researcher in applied microeconomics, environmental policy, and business economics, and Yang Mulia Muhammad Amirul Syazmie Ibrahim, Head of the Youth Division, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, who has led numerous youth initiatives and represented Brunei in regional and international youth programmes.
The panel discussion provided an interactive platform for stakeholders to explore key themes in Brunei’s innovation ecosystem, including entrepreneurship, technological breakthroughs, research innovation, cross-sector partnerships, knowledge transfer, talent development, and the human factors driving sustainable growth.
The forum demonstrated UTB’s ongoing role in shaping Brunei’s innovation landscape, bringing together experts from academia, industry, and government to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore practical strategies for building a stronger, more sustainable science, technology, and innovation ecosystem in the country.
