Innovation PNG 2023 Conference

An international-standard event bringing the best of new technology, creative solutions and innovative thinking to Papua New Guinea’s business and government communities.

Innovation PNG 2023 took place at APEC Haus, Port Moresby, on 10 November 2023.

Hosted by the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Business Advantage International, Innovation PNG 2023 followed the highly successful inaugural event held in 2019.

The only event of its kind in Papua New Guinea, our 2023 conference provided the opportunity for PNG’s wider business and government community to learn from, be inspired by, and engage with the best innovators from PNG and overseas.

If you attended Innovation PNG 2023, you can view videos, slides and photos from the event in the Delegate’s Area here (password required).

9 November 2023

What happened?

Plenary Conference featured international keynote speakers and multiple streams in the afternoon.

A Gala Awards Dinner the night before was held to acknowledge and reward PNG’s leading innovators.

An Expo Plus featured company booths and technology-related services/attractions.

Workshops provided hands-on training and inspiration

Official Government Partner

Sponsors

Principal Media Partner

Program

The conference program featured international keynotes, panel sessions, virtual keynotes, Q&As and case studies from the smartest PNG innovators (especially SMEs).

Session 1 (plenary)

8.30am

WELCOME

8.40am

Official Government Partner Address

The Hon. Timothy Masiu MP, Minister for Information and Communications Technology

8.50am

OPENING KEYNOTE: The digital economy as a driver of growth and prosperity

What is the digital economy and how can PNG participate in it?

Futurist Dr Jane Thomason looked at some of the transformational technologies coming our way and suggested practical ways PNG can use them to create our own digital economy.

Jane is the interim chair of the World Metaverse Council and a thought leader in the rapidly developing field of Metaverse, which is projected by Citi to be a $13 trillion industry by 2030. A well-known author, she has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and multiple books. She is frequently invited by industry to deconstruct the Metaverse and explain how this growing industry will impact on their work. Jane has a forty-year connection with PNG, which dates back to her time working for the National Research Institute, Department of Health and the Asian Development Bank in the 1980s and continues today through her role as a non-executive director of Kina Bank.

9.30am

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: 2023 Innovation PNG Award winner (Small business)

GoFood PNG
9.40am

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: 2023 Innovation PNG Award winner (Large business)

MiBank
9.50am

PRESENTATION: PNG’s Digital government strategy

Steven Matainaho, Secretary, Department of Information and Communications Technology

Steven Matainaho is the man charged with implementing PNG’s Digital Government Plan, 2023–2027. He will update the conference on the journey so far, and focus particularly on plans to bring government services and functions into the Cloud, and introduce digital identification to PNG.

10.05am

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: 2023 Innovation PNG Award winner (Government)

Credit Guarantee Corporation

 

Session 2 (plenary)

10.45am

VIRTUAL KEYNOTE: Innovation the key to unlocking growth and achieving scale

John Ball, Managing Director, Google Customer Solutions Australia & New Zealand

Every major new technological breakthrough drives a wave of innovation that allows more people to access global markets. This exclusive video presentation outlined how Google is currently enabling innovation in PNG (e.g., Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail) and looked ahead to the next wave of products, such as Google AI and driverless cars.

It was followed by a live Q&A.

11.10am

PRESENTATION: Update on PNG’s communications infrastructure

Paul Komboi, Chief Executive Officer, PNG Dataco

11.25am

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Satellite on the move

Robbie Huxley, Managing Director, TE (PNG)

11.35am

KEYNOTE: Cybersecurity

Matt Dri, Partner, Cyber Response & Forensic Technology, KPMG Australia

Cybercrime is a never-ending challenge for both business and government in their attempts to take advantage of the scale and flexibility offered by the internet. This must-see presentation discussed the common threats and how they can be addressed in a PNG context.

12.05pm

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Education in the Cloud

Samson Korawali, Chief Executive Officer, SNS Tech

12.15pm

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Agriculture

Aina Davis, Rice Development Manager, Trukai
Maryanne Tom, Marketing Manager, Trukai

Rice is a crop with huge potential in PNG. Trukai’s Smart Farmer program is an attempt to develop and encourage local expertise in rice-growing.

12.25pm

VIRTUAL FIRESIDE CHAT: Social networks and the Pacific

Nick McDonnell, Head of Public Policy, New Zealand & Pacific Islands, Meta

Meta is the owner of the social networks Facebook and Instagram, and the messaging service WhatsApp. Its senior Pacific executive discussed initiatives Meta is taking to develop digital literacy, online safety, and e-commerce in the region.

 

Lunchtime workshop

12.50pm-1.35pm

WORKSHOP: Cybersecurity

This workshop took a closer look at some of the latest cybersecurity trends, tools, and approaches.

Facilitator: Matt Dri, Partner, Cyber Response & Forensic Technology, KPMG Australia

 

Session 3 (split rooms)

ROOM 1 ROOM 2
1.40pm – 2.40pm

WORKSHOP: Planning for a digital future – an innovation framework for PNG

This workshop was designed to give you understanding of what it takes to innovate and how to create an eco-system that supports innovation in PNG.

Facilitator: Dr Jane Thomason

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Environment

Tim Solly, Commercial Director, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP)

This year, CCEP has introduced PNG’s first-ever recycling scheme for PET bottles. Tim Solly talked about the scheme’s implementation and what the plans are for its future.

 

FIRESIDE CHAT: Innovation and change management at Kina Bank

Martha Nion-Tefuarani, Senior Manager – Strategic Innovation, Kina Bank in conversation with Business Advantage International’s Andrew Wilkins.

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Transport (10 mins)

Isaac Jipsy, Chief Executive Officer, ODESH on Port Moresby’s Uber-style taxi service

VIRTUAL FIRESIDE CHAT: Why your brand matters and how to build a strong one

Q&A Sergio Brodsky, Executive Director, Strategy, Landor & Fitch

Whatever the size of your organization, your brand matters more than you think. In this session, international brand, media, and innovation strategist Sergio Brodsky, explained what makes a strong brand, what practical measures you can take to strengthen it, and how strong brands ultimately drive innovation.

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Energy

Israel Jali Kilawe & Jonathan Teloma Lanto, Engineers, ExxonMobil PNG

Operated by ExxonMobil, the PNG LNG Project has propelled an LNG industry that didn’t exist a decade ago into the spotlight through its world-class performance and almost 90 percent Papua New Guinean workforce. Its success has been driven by ExxonMobil and its focus on applying next-generation technologies to help safely and reliably meet the world’s growing energy needs. Through data, visualisation, and analytics, ExxonMobil is optimising the PNG LNG Project’s operations to routinely produce well above its nameplate capacity.

2.40pm – 3.30pm

PANEL DISCUSSION: Software development in PNG

Two of PNG’s leading ICT experts discussed how they are developing tech-led solutions for PNG problems.

Panelists:

Christopher Vagalia, CEO, Agri-Tech Organics

Bosa Togs, Director, Saribu Consulting Services

This discussion held in association with the PNG ICT Cluster.

VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS: Innovation culture

Eckhardt Boehme, Founder & Managing Director, Unipro Solutions

The German co-developer of the Wheel of Progress, a tool to drive innovation in customer service, provides a short overview of its principles and how to use it in both business and government organisations.

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Enabling microbanking in PNG

Max Relph, Sales Manager Banking – Australia, NZ & Pacific Islands, Temenos Australia 

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Green buildings

Markus Scheuermaier, PNG Resident Representative, International Finance Corporation

3.30pm

AFTERNOON TEA

 

Session 4 (plenary)

4.00pm

KEYNOTE: The next wave of innovation in payments

Craig Kirkland, Director, Mastercard Pacific

The Pacific Islands Director of global payments giant Mastercard de-mystified the current situation with online payments in the Pacific, and highlighted how innovations will allow us all to pay for things (and also get paid ourselves) more efficiently in the future.

4.20pm

INNOVATION CASE STUDY: Digital ID

Kimmo Koivisto, CEO, Digizen ID

Naime Kilamanu, Chief Information Officer, Bank of Papua New Guinea

4.30pm

CLOSING KEYNOTE: Creating an innovation culture

Ted Garner, Chief Strategy Officer, Konica Minolta Australia

From digitisation to 3D printing and high-tech imaging, global tech company Konica Minolta has been at the forefront of technological innovation. Ted Garner is responsible for formulating, facilitating, and communicating Konica Minolta Australia’s strategic initiatives. He talked about his high tech start-up origin in Canada, being acquired by Konica Minolta, through to business transformation projects in North America, Europe, and now Australia. Ted also shared the strategy and culture architecture lessons he learned along his exciting journey. 

 

 

 

 

Watch the conference trailer

Register

To register your interest in participating in future Innovation PNG events, please email us at: events@businessadvantageinternational.com.

Co-hosts

Innovation PNG Awards

The Innovation PNG Awards have been created to celebrate and encourage innovation in PNG organisations.

Timed to coincide with the 2023 Innovation PNG Conference (to be held at APEC Haus, Port Moresby on 10 November 2023), the 2023 awards were given as follows:

  • 2023 Innovation PNG Award Winner (small business): GoFood PNG
  • 2023 Innovation PNG Award Winner (large business): MiBank
  • 2023 Innovation PNG Award Winner (government): Credit Guarantee Corporation.

The awards were judged by an expert panel led by the futurist, Dr Jane Thomason.

2019 Innovation PNG Awards winners

  • 2019 Innovation PNG Award Winner (small organisation): Sustainable Alluvial Mining Services
  • 2019 Innovation PNG Award Winner (large organisation): S P Brewery

The 2019 awards were judged by an expert panel led by Peter Williams of Deloitte Digital.