Avinash Meetoo
Let us build a Smart Mauritius together
On 3 December 2018, I participated in a CNBC panel on “The rise of Africa’s digital economy”.
Together with the other panelists, I had the opportunity to share my views on Mauritius and how the country can fully participate in the digital revolution in the African continent.
I explained how technology can be a formidable enabler to create a better society. Of course, for this to happen, people need to understand the technology and this requires a better education system.
I was on Talk of the Town, together with Shateeaum Sewpaul and Vishal Seeboruth, on Wednesday 21 November 2018 to talk about Artificial Intelligence and the World AI Show / World Blockchain Summit in Mauritius happening from 28 to 30 November 2018.
I talked about Sophia, the humanoid AI robot, the changing nature of jobs and the kind of job prospects which will exist in the future.
Thank you to Priscilla Sadien for having us at Radio Plus.
“Mo video pou “50 Fraz pou 50 an Lindepandans” ki ti pas lor MBC le 10 fevrie. Mo met laksan lor linportans teknolozi ek inovasion pou ki Maurice vinn ankor meyer.”
In February, I was contacted by the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to participate in their 50 Fraz pou 50 an Lindepandans (50 sentences for the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Mauritius) programme. I gladly accepted.
Here is a simplified transcript:
From a country which had no experience in computing and technology, Mauritius is today one of the most advanced countries in the region. All international indicators show that technology is used a lot in businesses and at home.
Today, there are different kinds of companies in Ébène Cybercity and, notably, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies. There are local and foreign ICT companies which employ about 25,000 people and have the potential to employ still more people, including Mauritians, provided they are trained properly. Young Mauritians are as good as any other young people from any other country and, if they get the proper training, Mauritius will be able to move up a level.
Technology is an enabler. It will allow us to better leverage, for example, our seas (thereby strengthening our ocean economy), to engage in modern agriculture and to allow our hotels to have more clients from more countries. Technology can also allow us to penetrate untapped industries such as the video gaming industry. 1-2% of this industry can have a very positive impact on our economy.
For this to become true, it is essential that we think big and we need to become innovative. For me, innovation is simply being able to do something today which we couldn’t do yesterday. It is necessary to inspire young people to become better than their parents for example. To do that, we could ask innovators in the island to show what they are doing to these young people. Similarly, it should be possible for young students to go throughout the island to discover what is being done.
An innovative Mauritius will also require more collaborative work. People will have to trust each other. People need to understand that it is possible for everyone to win. Winning does not forcibly entail someone else losing.
When this will become true, then Mauritius will become one of the best countries in the world or, maybe, the best one 🙂
What do you think?
