Remarks by Anwar Ibrahim at the SAGIA Noor 2008 Forum, Madinah, 23rd June, 2008
Ladies and Gentleman.
While it would be superfluous to harp on the importance of research and development in knowledge based industries (KBIs), the issues of focus cannot be overstated. We know that the market is indeed hungry for the entire spectrum of knowledge based products ranging from aerospace and ICT products to precision and scientific tools. The more intensive the use of high technology, the greater reliance will be placed on R&D advances. We would imagine that from the vantage point of strategic policy the state’s focus will be on sustainable development.
As they say, in a knowledge economy, the trajectory of R&D cuts across every spectrum and becomes not only a key driver but the main fulcrum for economic advancement. We know that the development of KBIs is now springing up as a catch all phrase sometimes employed without serious consideration of its implications. From another vantage point we are really referring to enhancing market competition, which is not just a question of breaking down protective barriers and opening tenders for contracts to the best bidders. That is of course absolutely necessary for transparency and accountability. But the principle also entails the fostering of entrepreneurship and creativity so as to remove crutches and enable indigenous enterprises to grow into significant entities able to hold their own.
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