Eight tips for creating a culture of innovation in Papua New Guinea

1. Innovation is about doing

When governments talk about innovation, it’s mostly about funding science and research. But science and research don’t create innovation, they only create new opportunities.

It was people looking at the world and saying: there’s a problem here and I’m going to do something to fix it.

Innovation is about doing and learning. It’s about trying new ideas and trying to make them scale and succeed. The first question a lot of people have is: where do you start? The answer is to just start somewhere. Take that first step.

Innovation should be thought of more as a verb than a noun. It’s something that you do.

2. Start small and learn

When you start something, you think you know what you’re doing. But it’s about testing. I have a hypothesis. I reckon if I do this, this will happen. Test it as quickly as you can.

The key is not to invest everything into your first thought or idea.

Let the idea percolate.

Create prototypes, not PowerPoints; experiments, not Excel.

Don’t be afraid to be wrong. Let’s see what happens when we put our idea out in the wild and then get that feedback and make it better.

3. Focus on human problems

Innovation is about looking at the world through a different lens. Put yourself into somebody else’s shoes. Ask yourself: What am I trying to do? Am I trying to help somebody or am I just trying to make a quick buck?

I always believe that when I’m innovating, it’s not so much about my idea, it’s about the problem and how it can affect the person or people that I’m trying to benefit with that idea.

4. Collaboration is essential

Innovators very rarely work by themselves. It’s a team game.

In 2017, a Queensland university student named Jack Growden visited villages in Papua New Guinea as part of his studies and noticed the lack of computers in schools. When he returned home, he rallied together some friends and they raised funds to send 12 computers to one of the villages.

I had made similar observations at the time, and a colleague suggested I give Jack a call.

This was just one kid who saw a problem, didn’t know how to solve it, but he engaged with it. The only difference between him and me was that I was part of a giant corporation, whereas he was making it happen on the ground.

I didn’t say, “wow that’s my idea, I’m going to compete.” I thought: I’m going to back this kid. [Editor: This led to the creation of LiteHaus International, where Williams is chair and Growden is chief executive].

5. Share early, share often

In the world of innovation, some people worry that if you share all your ideas, somebody else will steal them. But I say that if they can out-execute me, I didn’t deserve to have that idea.

If you’re working on something that is regulated, test it with the regulator. You would be surprised how often the regulator says: “Wow, we’ve been waiting for somebody to come up with an idea like this.”

It’s through sharing that you get the serendipity of finding new connections, ideas or other interested parties.

6. Innovation doesn’t require large resources

We were amazed at the number of entries for this year’s Innovation PNG Awards. Not all of these innovations were about having lots of money or corporate support. It was people doing stuff out in the provinces and villages. It was people looking at the world and saying: there’s a problem here and I’m going to do something to fix it.

7. Leaders should enable, not block innovation

Good innovation leaders don’t create checkpoints. They clear pathways. They find the resources. They give the person or the team space. They engage on the ground. They don’t set them impossible tasks.

Good innovation leaders don’t bring in the risk, legal or IT security officer to say, “We can’t do that because it’s never been done before.”

8. Act now!

I was talking to a young person the other day who had had an idea.

I said, “What are you doing with your idea?”

They said, “Oh, you know, there’s plenty of time.”

I said, “Pretend you’re 63 like me. I ain’t got a lot of time left. I’m going to be innovating the hell out of this world as long as I can.”

Peter Williams is Chief Edge Officer at Deloitte’s Centre for the Edge in Australia. This is an edited excerpt from a speech he gave at the Innovation PNG 2026 Awards in Port Moresby on 3 June.