Origin Oman's 150 Kilometre Meal Initiative

“When the average Oman based citizen sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 kilometres” says Ibtisam Al Faruji of PEIE and the woman spearheading the recently-launched Origin Oman campaign (http://www.originoman.om/). “Our local products are excellent and we want to get people putting them on their plates on a more regular basis. Our goal is simple, we want to raise public awareness of locally produced food as well as highlight the environmental impact of transporting food long distances. It just makes sense,” she adds.

To get this idea into practice and show exactly how good local produce is, on the evening of 25 and 26 May, the Oman Tourism College in partnership with the Origin Oman campaign will host the ‘150 Kilometre Meal’. “The goal is to stick to ingredients grown or made within 150 kilometres of the College,” says Dietrich Repolusk (pictured), lecturer in Nutrition and International Cuisine at the college and the man responsible for planning the dinner menu along with his Omani students. ”We fully expect a sell out crowd of 60 diners each night who will feast on a meal featuring locally sourced ingredients,” says confident Repolusk.

Repolusk, an Austrian national who has been in the food and travel business for over 30 years and is an accomplished chef said: “I’m passionate about locally grown food. Eating closer to home is both safer and healthier. Food is a living, breathing entity and the fresher the food, the better it is for you. If people made the effort to make even 10% of their diet local, it would have a huge impact on the environment, the domestic economy and our communities," says Repolusk.

“Eating local isn't just about health,” he continues. “It’s also about quality. I recently had the greatest local tomatoes. They were so unbelievably sweet and delicious. Better still they didn't sit on a truck for three weeks, frozen. And as for Omani honey and the fruit from Jebel Akhdar, well, they’re exceptional.”

Origin Oman’s Ibtisam agrees. “Speaking of honey, I always like to use the honey analogy when I talk about the taste of local food," she says. “The bees visit the local flora. We smell the air and our senses and our taste buds are attuned, so when we buy local honey, it tastes better because we’re smelling and tasting something familiar. They also say eating honey from where you live helps combat allergies.”

But isn’t eating locally sourced produce more expensive? Repolusk thinks not. “Most of us pay a premium for out-of-season foods like cherries in winter or prepared foods like spaghetti sauce, usually with a long list of ingredients we might prefer not to have in our bodies. Eating locally, you can buy fresh ingredients in season direct from the market or the farmer – and to save money you can buy in bulk. Freeze the food you don’t need straight away. In my opinion, most people eating a typical diet could save money by eating locally.” Ibtisam agrees, “There are places where it's easier and places where it's harder, but with a little planning, local eating is never impossible. And if you’re looking to save money don’t forget that a lot of products made in Oman are the same quality as imported stuff and often cheaper. It’s worth reconsidering the brands you buy.”

The ‘150 Kilometre Meal’ is one of the many initiatives that make up this year’s Origin Oman campaign. Look out also for: the Origin Oman Exhibition 25 - 29 May at Lulu Hypermarket and check out the Origin Oman website http://www.originoman.om/ for more information on the campaign and its initiatives.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman Makes Front Cover Story

The Origin Oman campaign made front cover news in the most recent edition of The Week. Ceri Edwards' story is pasted below.

When sitting down on a Friday afternoon for a hearty family meal, do you ever stop to think about where your food might have come from? For most of us, the answer is no, but a new campaign called Origin Oman, run by Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) wants to encourage more people in the sultanate to consider just this. Dave Pender, Advisor, PEIE, explained that in recent years, the distance food travels from producer to the dining table has increased by around 50 per cent. This means that, for example, the ingredients of your next meal could have potentially travelled as much as 40,000km to reach a plate in front of you. If this distance was to be reduced, there would be potential for numerous social, environmental and economic benefits, including the reduction of carbon emissions, job creation, increased community spirit and financial gain.

In order to raise awareness about the need to reduce food travel distance, an initiative under the umbrella of Origin Oman, the 150km meal has been organised as part of Origin Oman Week, between May 25-29, in tandem with key hotels in the country and the Oman Tourism College, where dishes will be created using ingredients that have travelled no more than 150km. “The idea behind the 150km meal is to present information regarding the benefits of locally sourced produce in a novel way, which in turn gets people thinking and raises awareness,” said Ibtisam Al Faruji, Head of Marketing, PEIE.

However, this initiative is just the icing on the cake. Origin Oman is a rolling campaign, which began in January 2008 and its goal is to promote, not only locally sourced food stuffs, but also technology, manpower as well as many other products and services. Without detracting from the quality of importing products and services from abroad, utilising talent and resources from within the country can help to reduce our carbon footprints, thus helping the environment, as well as simultaneously helping to make Oman a more sustainable place.Moreover, the multi-faceted campaign is not solely concentrated on ‘Joe Consumer’, but also on organisations that could become more socially responsible as a result of sourcing locally. “People sometimes just need to be made aware of what is available,” Ibtisam explained.

As well as the 150km meal concept, Origin Oman has a calendar of initiatives that will be implemented to help raise consumer consciousness. For example, a debate will be held later this month between several colleges and universities in the sultanate to discuss the importance of ‘Made in Oman’ products and services as well as what contributions students can make to the future success of the country.“Oman’s future is its youth and if we can get the message across to them, that is a positive step,” she added. In addition, Origin Oman will be launching a competition for students, enrolled in Oman-based tertiary colleges, to design a logo for the campaign. “By encapsulating the idea of locally-made goods and services in a logo, we are promoting national pride in contestants as well as giving consumers the opportunity to choose products that could help their country and the environment,” Dave added.

Other initiatives in the pipeline include the Origin Oman Week exhibition, which will be held at the car park of Lulu hypermarket, Bausher. At the event, companies and organisations from a number of industries, including fashion, travel, technology and education, will be showcasing their wares and services, providing free samples and giving informative demonstrations. With these initiatives and more planned to help consumers realise that buying locally could be beneficial at a number of levels, it is hoped that people will now shop with more awareness of the quality of products and services Oman has to offer.

Origin Oman logo competition The Origin Oman logo competition was officially launched at PEIE’s head office at Knowledge Oasis Muscat on April 20 to design a logo for the campaign. The competition is open to Oman-based college students of all nationalities. As a guideline, logo entries should take into account the various places it will be used. The closing date for entries is May 20. The winning entry will receive RO500. For more information, go to www.peie.om/press56.shtml or email hamida.albalushi@peie.om. Entries can also be dropped off at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat at KOM Building 1 reception. For more details about Origin Oman, go to http://www.originoman.om/

KOM to Showcase Start-ups at COMEX

Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) will for the third year running sponsor COMEX (www.oite.com/comex/), Oman’s annual flagship ICT exhibition. A KOM Pavilion will be staged at the Oman International Exhibition Centre from 28 April to 2 May 2008.

If you’re looking for ways on how to collaborate with firms on KOM; or to find out about advergaming; web design and web based services; m-Commerce; software design in logistics or WiFi services for the petroleum business then perhaps you should visit the companies exhibiting on the KOM Pavilion. As a sponsor of the event and with a growing modern hi-tech community of over 60 tenants, KOM is gaining momentum as it consolidates its position as one of the Gulf’s leading technology parks.

“We’re totally committed to enhancing KOM’s position and we’re actively seeking opportunities to raise the national and international profile of our tenant community,” commented Mohammed Al Maskari, KOM’s Director General. Al Maskari announced that KOM tenants will present a series of technology briefings from their respective stands. “The briefings are intended to showcase products, services and applications and provide trade visitors with an opportunity to hear about developing technologies and their applications,” says the Park’s Director General.

“Through participating in COMEX, KOM is offered an opportunity to showcase its achievements in the ICT field, and the Government's determination to develop the Sultanate as a leading regional digital centre,” says Ibtisam Al Faruji, KOM’s Head of Marketing. “The exhibition is also a golden opportunity for us to reach audiences we may not ordinarily have access to,” remarks Al Faruji.Singaporean m-Commerce expert, Karim Rahemtulla (pictured) MD, Infocomm (http://www.i-grp.com/) and one of KOM’s anchor tenants comments: “Our participation on KOM’s pavilion gives us an unique opportunity to showcase our advergaming and mobile commerce solutions and services to both business and consumers. We will also be promoting isurf.co.om our community portal. COMEX is an excellent networking event that in the past has helped us initiate a number of new business relationships.”

Asked about developments in mobile phone applications, Rahemtulla says: “It’s booming. From an international perspective, folk in Slovakia are using mobiles to remotely switch on the heat before they get home. Over 1.5 million Norwegians are sending their tax returns by SMS. British paramedics are using camera phones to send ahead to hospitals pictures of incoming injuries; and Japanese construction workers on-site are using cell phones to send pictures to contractors off-site. The SMS space is developing rapidly, we’re very excited about the opportunities it presents.”

According to Al Maskari KOM has several overlapping target groups, we cater for start-ups, SMEs and blue chip multinationals. This year, five companies from the Park’s incubator program – The Knowledge Mine (TKM) – will participate at on KOM’s Pavilion. “In simple terms,” suggests Al Maskari “TKM’s facilities help stimulate and support start-ups who are upgrading or developing new technologies, products or services. We offer start-ups support through high-quality, low-cost office space and technical, business and administrative mentoring services.” TKM’s mentor program is supported by Ericsson; Ernst & Young; KPMG; Towers & Hamlins; and Intilaaqah. “We’re very excited about the participation of TKM’s Hussam Technology; R&D; Trade Max; IT Scope; and Seeb Systems, these are highly creative start-ups that are making their mark in the domestic and regional ICT market,” commented Al Faruji.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Rules for Origin Oman Logo Competition

The logo must encapsulate the idea of locally-made goods and services and sustainability and the design should take into account the various and varied places it will be used.

Where Will the Origin Oman Logo be Used?
The Origin Oman logo will be used to help consumers and institutional buyers identify Oman-made products and services. It will appear, for example, in retail establishments around Oman as well as on Oman-made merchandise, business cards, headed paper, pop-up displays, exhibition stands, flyers, booklets, brochures as well as in web and print advertising campaigns. Moreover, the logo will also be made available to any Oman-based company or organization that is a member of the Origin Oman portal – http://www.originoman.om/ – In brief, the logo is intended to enhance awareness of locally made goods and services.

Help the Economy
When companies and organizations use the Origin Oman logo in their marketing and promotional campaigns, they set themselves apart from the competition by conveying their pride in Oman. Identifying products and services with the Origin Oman logo in supermarkets, shops, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops or at trade shows will translate into increased profits.

Use of the Origin Oman logo will help increase sales of Oman-made products and services which in turn will result in increased employment opportunities and a stronger Omani economy. It’s a win-win scenario.

The Competition Prize
The prize for the winning logo will be RO500 (US$1,358) - and the pride of seeing your logo help promote Oman-made goods and services.

Competition Terms
The deadline for submissions is 20 May 2008

Rules of the Competition
1. The logo must be original work of the submitter. By submitting a logo for entry in the competition, the designer acknowledges that he/she is the person that made the logo and is its rightful owner. Copies will be rejected. No work will be returned. Be sure to keep a copy.
2. The design must have an Arabic and English version. The Arabic version must include the word ‘Omani’ in Arabic and the English version should carry the words ‘Origin Oman’ in English. We will also accept a single version that contains the two elements.
3. The competition is open to Oman-based students only.
4. The logo should be vector graphics in Illustrator ai format.
5. Do not send Word documents, Powerpoint Presentations or PaintShop Pro files. They will not be accepted.
6. We will only accept digital submissions. 7. Digital submissions must be a minimum of 300 dpi.
8. The logo should be usable in monochrome and colour media, including limited colours (2 or 3
colours).
9. The logo must not exploit or offend anyone’s sex, race, religion, morality, culture, nor be salacious, or pornographic. Artwork considered by the committee to be violent, provocative, pornographic, discriminatory or inappropriate will be disqualified.
10. The logo should be simple. Remember it will be used on merchandise.
11. The deadline for submission is 20 May 2008.
12. Results will be announced in 25 May 2008.
13. By participating, you agree to give the copyright for your design to PEIE and the winning designer will disclaim any trademarks and without limitation all other rights related to the design. The designer also certifies that the logo does not infringe upon the rights of any third party and that it does not violate any copyright.
14. PEIE declines any responsibility of misuse of the image. 15. All personal information enclosed in the submission form will remain confidential. This information will be used to check the validity of a submission and to contact the winners.
16. Imitation or insertion of copyrighted images are not allowed: comics, movies, TV characters, etc.
17. When submitting please include your full name, age, place of study, postal address, telephone number and e-mail address. Without this information the submission will be rejected.

All entries must be submitted to: hamida.albalushi@peie.om or on CD to PEIE’s Head Office on Knowledge Oasis Muscat on or before 20 May 2008

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman Logo Competition Hots Up

College students from around Oman are being invited to submit entries for the Origin Oman Student Logo Design Competition. Launched by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) the competition invites students to design a logo that will be used in its forthcoming advertising and direct marketing campaign to promote Oman made goods and services.

Origin Oman is a domestic campaign designed to promote local products and services and is intended to engender national pride and encourage consumers and companies to choose locally made products and services bearing the Origin Oman logo. “We’re particularly excited about the competition as it encapsulates the ethos of the Origin Oman campaign,” says Ibtisam Al Faruji (pictured), PEIE’s Head of Marketing.

The competition will be officially launched at PEIE’s Head Office on Knowledge Oasis Muscat on Sunday 20 April at 11:00am. “We fully expect the standard of entries to be very high. It's important to run competitions like this because it gives college students the chance to work on something real rather than just theoretical. I'm sure the winner will be proud when they see their design on all the Origin Oman publicity material as well as on Oman-made products and services.”

Hilal Al Ahsani, CEO, PEIE said: “Being involved in live projects is an invaluable experience for college students. It simulates the working situation and helps them develop the ability to articulate their concepts and practice their people skills. Competing in the business arena will be a real challenge and I fully expect them to respond positively and enthusiastically.”

According to Ibtisam the logo should take into account the various and varied places it will be used. Open to Oman-based college-registered students of all nationalities. The closing date for entries is 20 May 2008. The winning student will receive RO500. Further information on the competition can be viewed at: www.peie.om/press56.shtml

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman Student Logo Competition Launched

A national student design competition has been launched by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) to find the visual brand that will reflect the uniqueness of Oman-made goods and services, with a RO500 cash prize for the winner.

Oman-based students of all nationalities are being invited to enter the competition, which will provide the Origin Oman campaign with a distinctive logo that will be used on letterheads, signage and advertising as well as on the Internet.

Judges for the competition have been drawn from the media and design sectors and represent those working at the forefront of Oman’s creative industries.

Origin Oman is a new think, buy and eat local business initiative spearheaded by PEIE. “In simple terms, the campaign aims to preserve and enhance the economic, human and natural vitality of Oman’s communities by promoting the importance of purchasing locally made products and services,” says Nasser Al Rahbi, PEIE’s Media Co-ordinator.

“Origin Oman certainly isn’t a militant 'buy only Oman' initiative,” says Al Rahbi, “it’s a balanced and rational campaign that is more about educating consumers and institutional buyers as to the availability of Oman-made products and services and the internal success stories many of our manufacturers are enjoying in the international markets.”

“We need this type of nudge,” suggests Hamida, “I guess that once the average Oman-based consumer realizes they already buy local to some degree, whether that’s washing powder, fruit and vegetables, baby nappies, sweets, car batteries, or cooking oil - the blocks you build your house with, they will perhaps engage in the idea a lot more. In fact, the overall economic impact of buying local is actually phenomenal,” comments The PEIE Media Co-ordinator.

The creation of a visual identity for the Origin Oman campaign offers a challenging opportunity to those students involved in media and design. "We're inviting submissions for this challenging brief from across Oman – we hope that as many colleges as possible will participate in this important initiative. Indeed, the competition is another way for us to help promote the importance of buying locally-made goods and services. Along with the other judges I am delighted to be involved with this project, and I am sure the competition will attract the highest calibre of entry," remarks Hamida Al Balushi the competition’s co-ordinator.

Those interested in entering the Origin Oman student logo competition should log on to http://www.peie.om/ to review the competition’s guidelines. The closing date for entries is Tuesday 20 May 2008.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

One-on-one with David Wortley

Here's an interview with David Wortley, Director, Serious Games Institute, Coventry University and presenter at KOM's 2008 Serious eGames Conference held in Muscat, Oman 31 March - 1 April.

What are the focus areas – both short-term and long-term - of SGI (Serious Games Institute)?

DW: The Serious Games Institute (SGI) has 2 principal and related focus areas - serious games and virtual worlds. Both of these areas involve immersive environments that are engaging and have potential to develop, inform and influence users. In the short term our aim is to raise awareness of the potential of these applications and to develop a reputation for the West Midlands of the UK as a centre of excellence. By doing this, we aspire to attracting inward investment, creating jobs, attracting the best talent and retaining graduates. In the longer term, our aim is to build a model of best practice for a commercially sustainable partnership between industry and education that combines business incubation with advanced demonstration/showcasing facilities and excellent applied research.

Please explain games based simulation and immersive 3D virtual environments?

DW: Simulation is an activity which gives people an opportunity to practice skills without the risks or consequences of associated with doing it for real. Role playing exercises are a good examples of simulations. Flight simulators are one of the best known types of simulation. They provide pilots with a chance to practice flying a plane without killing themselves or other people. Games are activities which involve challenge, competition, rewards and enjoyment. Games also create a low-risk environment that encourages enterprise and innovation. Putting games and simulations together creates an environment where people can not only practice skills in a low-risk way but where they also experience enjoyment, challenge, competition and rewards.

Immersive 3D virtual environments are computer generated virtual worlds which the user can explore and navigate. Increasingly, technology is enabling us to create realistic 3D immersive environments that many users can share simultaneously on standard computer hardware.

Clearly, simulations, games and 3D immersive environments are closely related and each can support the effectiveness of the other e.g. a games based simulation in an immersive 3D virtual environment could be the most effective way to engage and develop people because it combines the best of all worlds but there are many examples of simulations that are not games e.g. commercial flight simulators and games which are not simulations e.g. professional football

Examples which combine both games and simulation include Microsoft Flight simulator and the Football Manager electronic games. Microsoft Flight simulator uses an immersive 3D virtual environment and Football Manager is just 2D.

What could be the negatives, if any, of pursuing serious games?

DW: Like any emerging technology, there is always the danger of inflated expectations and misuse. Serious games have great potential if used appropriately. If people pursue serious games with the expectation that they can replace all other forms of training and learning, they will be disappointed and potentially waste a lot of money. Once people understand how and when to uses serious games, and once the tools and technologies are fully mature, these negatives will disappear.

The most serious long-term negative of pursuing serious games could be that users of serious games are protected from the risks and consequences of the real world and that this protection could lead people to take inappropriate risks once they move from the serious games to the real world. A pilot who crashes his flight simulator many times and walks away unharmed may be less careful when flying a real plane and a soldier killed many times in a "shoot em up" simulation can always restart the game but in real life he might not get a second chance.

In the cultural context of the Gulf countries, especially Oman, how do you see the growth of serious games applications?

DW: Gulf countries like Oman are developing very rapidly as a result of oil. They are moving into the 21st century globalised economy with a new generation of young people being brought up in the Technology Age where games consoles and mobile phones are a very natural and essential part of everyday life. For this coming generation, serious games will be a very natural way to learn and develop. I therefore see a rapid growth in both the use and development of serious games and a potential source of employment in the Oman economy.

How would you relate serious games and environment concerns?

DW: Serious games have the potential to address environmental concerns on different levels. One of the biggest impacts of serious games on the environment could be their use to educate people and influence their behaviour. There are already serious games where players can experience the simulated environmental impact of their decisions and their lifestyles. These games are designed to change behaviour through increased awareness.

However, there are also opportunities to use serious games and immersive environment technologies to produce environmental benefits through their use in such application areas as Smart Buildings and Virtual conferences, both of which should reduce energy consumption and have a positive impact on the environment.

What could be the breakthrough sort of innovation possible through serious games applications?

DW: This is a very difficult question because innovation is by its nature unanticipated and unpredictable. However, if you look at what are emerging possibilities enabled by technological advance, the ability to visualise information in 3 dimensions must be a key area for breakthrough innovation. It is an area that the SGI is deeply involved in through the real time integration of physical and virtual worlds with sensor technologies.

As an example, these technologies enable us to visualise and experience a building before it is constructed and, once constructed, allow us to interact with the building and its occupants in ways never before possible. We can see this as a major area for innovation.

One of the other important breakthrough innovations made possible by electronic games is likely to be the interface with the computer. The mouse and keyboard are likely to be replaced by more natural interfaces including Wii type controllers, brainwave monitors and 3D cameras.

On a global scale, how do you serious games growing?

DW: I foresee substantial growth in the serious games market place both in the commercial and consumer space. In the business to business space, new tools to improve development productivity will reduce costs and growing awareness will stimulate demand, whilst in the consumer space, led by companies like Nintendo, you will see many serious games published of the "Brain trainer" genre.

How can serious games promote regional development?

DW: The West Midlands of the UK has lost many of its traditional manufacturing industries with the migration of car making to the Far East. With the growth potential of this emerging sector, the West Midlands is seeking to promote regional development by building on the success of local electronic games companies such as Blitz Games and Codemasters and investing in building a new brand identity around this.

3D immersive environments (and games) can also be used to promote the region by creating rich virtual worlds that mirror the region and encourage its exploration through gateways like Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth

Any plans to start an SGI learning centre in Oman?

DW: The launch of the Soft Landing Zone in Oman is an importnat first step to the creation of an international network of learning centres to encourage enterprise and innovation through serious games, 3D immersive environments and advanced telecommunications. The Soft Landing Zone will enable us to run joint virtual events and workshops

How can serious games boost creativity?

DW: By their nature, games encourage creativity and experimentation so those involved in the development of serious games must exercise their creativity, imagination and story-telling communication skills. There are also examples of serious games which are specifically designed to encourage enterprise and innovation amongst business people. Pixelearning's business enterprise game is an example of this.

In what way can serious games help people with special needs?

DW: At the Serious Games Institute, we have an excellent example of how someone with special needs has had his life transformed by the virtual world called Second Life. Simon Stevens is a highly intelligent and entrepreneurial young man with cerebral palsy. Second Life enabled him to fulfill hsi potential by creating a level playing field in which his capabilities were not masked by his physical and speech difficulties.

Increasingly, technologies like this and developments in new interfaces will help people with special needs express and exploit their special capabilities.

Is there any monitoring/regulatory agency for the serious games sector?

DW: I guess the serious games sector is still emerging so, as far as I am aware, such an agency is not yet in place. I would not like to predict whether there is a need for such an agancy but I think it is likely that there will be some form of industry standards body to will develop and encourage standard protocols for serious games and virtual worlds that allows inter-operability.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

ITA Joins Forces with KOM for eGames

Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) and the Information Technology Authority (ITA) in conjunction with Nawras, Huawei, UMS, Infocomm, Ericsson, Coventry University and the UK’s Advantage West Midlands Regional Development Agency have come together to organize Oman’s annual Serious Games conference scheduled to be held on KOM 31 March – 1 April 2008.

“To be working alongside ITA and partnering with top class organizations like Nawras, Huawei, UMS, Infocomm, Coventry University, Ericsson and Advantage West Midlands is a real privilege and it’s partnerships like this that takes the eGames Conference to a higher level,” comments KOM’s Director General, Mohammed Al Maskari. ITA’s Tufool Al Dhahab endorses this view and says: “Public-private sector alliances like this one will certainly help all parties take ICT awareness in the sultanate to a broader audience. This is something that we at ITA are very excited about.”

Held under the patronage of Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce & Industry this year’s eGames conference will consider the applications of serious gaming to tourism, heritage, culture, education and health.

According to Al Maskari: “Leading experts from Europe and the US in a range of digital media and communications technologies will be showcasing the use of advanced and innovative technologies to enrich Oman’s culture, heritage, tourism and education experience and make it globally accessible to the widest audience. If you’re involved in any of these sectors then eGames is a must attend event and what’s more, it’s free of charge.”

Where does Al Maskari see serious games taking off? “One very important market sector is in public education and professional training. The information society is changing the nature of the way Omani society works, and I think the way that we’ve educated kids in the past is no longer particularly relevant for the future. If you look at the world that kids are coming into now with console games, smart mobile phones, blogs, P2P Internet networks and digital media, their lives are completely saturated by gaming technologies, and it is such an integral part of their daily life.”

Al Maskari adds: “We need to look at the generation of youngsters that’s coming through. We need to look at the needs of Omani society and the way we learn and look at it in terms of a lifelong learning process, rather than training for skills. This, I believe, will influence the way we use serious games technologies.”

Today, there’s a greater emphasis on learning by discovery rather than learning by being told something. Learners are exploring and discovering. Al Maskari believes that technologies like GIS, Google Earth, Secondlife.com and Microsoft Virtual Earth are going to be influential in the way that Oman-based students learn in the future. “I think what’s happening is that the balance of the way we learn is shifting away from the hierarchical model of absorbing knowledge into much more of a collaborative discovery-based type of peer‑to‑peer learning. Indeed, serious games technology has applications for training surgeons, entrepreneurs, nurses, oil rig engineers through to military personnel. There are no learning limits to serious gaming.”

From a university point of view, Al Maskari argues that those universities who are able to meet the expectations and aspirations of Generation Y will be the universities that will succeed in the future, certainly, in attracting students to be part of it and also being able to deliver on the expectations of both the students and Omani society as well.

Further information on the eGames Conference can be viewed at:

http://0187361.netsolhost.com/eGames2008.html

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman Launched

PEIE launched its Origin Oman campaign and portal (www.originoman.om) on Tuesday 18 March at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel.

According to Hamida Al Balushi, an Origin Oman Co-ordinator at PEIE: “Supporting the local economy is the number one reason for people buying local products and services. Freshness and lower prices are the next biggest influences.” Indeed, research indicates that a staggering 75% are prepared to pay a bit more for products which help conserve the environment and help build a stronger national economy.

The Origin Oman campaign is designed to drive the market for local products and services and demonstrate to consumers how their buying power can benefit Oman’s economy. “Our aim is very simple, we want to dramatically increase the public’s awareness and take-up of Omani products and services,” comments Al Balushi.

"The public care passionately about the future of Oman’s manufacturing sector and the goods they produce," says Ibtisam Al Faruji, Head of PEIE’s Marketing and the person leading the Origin Oman marketing campaign. "Government can do much to support local producers and service providers but consumers and institutional buyers have a vital role to play too," suggests Al Faruji.

Tuesday’s launch also showcased the new Origin Oman portal which will facilitate the online business matching of local and foreign enterprises by allowing them to create and view company profiles, trade leads and product information spanning a wide range of industry sectors. Omani enterprises will also be alerted by SMS of appropriate matches, allowing local and foreign businesses to make those first connections with each other. “The portal will also alert people via SMS whenever public tenders are released. Keeping Oman’s business community updated via SMS is both quick and convenient. Indeed, we’re delighted with the feedback we’ve received from business, government and the public to the Origin Oman campaign,” says PEIE’s Head of Marketing.

“We recognize,” says Al Faruji “that acquiring international contacts and business partners are challenges faced by Omani enterprises in their bid to expand overseas. With the launch of the Origin Oman portal, PEIE aims to address and facilitate these needs by providing a ready and user-friendly online platform for businesses to profile their products and services worldwide.”

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Omania E-commerce Backs Digital Nation

Omania E-Commerce LLC (OEC), the sultanate's premier e-commerce company has renewed its MoU with Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) to support the Tech Park's quarterly Digital Nation seminar series (www.kom.om) which starts 11 March at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel with a seminar entitled Bridging the Digital Divide

Commenting on their involvement in the Digital Nation series and today's fast moving global economy, Sheikh Mohammed Al Harthy OEC’s Managing Director said: "Governments across the Gulf are responding to citizen demands for greater and faster electronic access to information and services. It’s events like Digital Nation that bring together a broad audience to discuss such issues and take community ICT awareness to a higher level. Indeed, OEC is delighted to be supporting this initiative and sharing our passion for communication.”

“Technology provides the opportunity for people to broaden their horizons and realise their potential. It’s essential that everyone has access to the Internet and that we avoid a digital divide. I’m delighted to see that the first Digital Nation seminar of the 2008 season is focusing on bridging the digital divide. It’s critical that we encourage businesses, government departments as well as private individuals to get involved and find out how the Internet can contribute to their everyday lives. I’m confident that the upcoming seminar will a go a long way to addressing that,” remarked Al Harthy.

OEC is expected to bring substantial value to an initiative that's already attracted support from Nawras, Ericsson, Infocomm and Oman Economic Review. "The OEC team will show Digital Nation attendees how efficiency and costs can be improved, and how both regional and international market access can be expanded through e-commerce. We're excited about their participation in this important set of quarterly seminars," said Hilal Al Ahsani, CEO, PEIE (pictured).

KOM has launched a variety of outreach ICT initiatives in recent years. “These programs are intended to market KOM and its tenants as well as help drive the long-term development of the sultanate's ICT industry and the economy. Our initiatives also help foster greater co-operation between government, business, industry and academia on the domestic and international stage," remarked Mohammed Al Maskari, KOM's Director General.

OEC was established in 2005 with a vision to become the leading e-solutions provider in Oman, as well as an active and major contributor to Oman’s drive towards a digital society. Indeed, OEC’s mission is to provide clients with quality value-added solutions that maximize client’s efficiencies, benefits and competitive edge.

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eGames Conference Under Minister Maqbool

Knowledge Oasis Muscat’s annual eGames (www.kom.om) has officially launched today with an impressive line-up of leading international experts and developers of serious and mobile games. Held under the patronage of HE Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Comerce & Industry, eGames is scheduled to be held on the Rusayl-based technology park 31 March – 1 April and is the Gulf’s only annual serious gaming conference.

David Wortley (pictured), Director of the Serious Games Institute at Conference University and a presenter at eGames said: “The existence of KOM’s eGames event illustrates the Omani government’s interest in the serious games market and its applications to important sectors such as tourism, heritage and culture, health, defence and education.”

The serious games movement has opened up a hitherto-untapped pool of expertise to the global interactive 3D community as a whole, enabling the industry to exploit multidisciplinary skills in arts, science and technology, heritage, human factors. “Indeed, if we take on board the lessons learned from the highs and lows of the Virtual Reality experiences of the 1990s, then serious gaming is set to revolutionise the way in which Oman attracts tourists, promotes its cultural assets, teaches its medical students and trains its military personnel. The applications are astounding,” comments Wortley.

Meanwhile, Susie Houh of Ericsson endorsed serious games in corporate learning, by saying: “Serious Games represents the next evolutionary step in the field of technology-enabled learning, bringing new levels of engagement, motivation and context to the learning process. However, Serious Games isn’t just about advancing learning through technology, its also about unlocking business advantage through creating effective training programmes that can be deployed faster and enable staff to perform better. Ericsson is thrilled to be involved with eGames and given the international line-up of European and US speakers I fully expect this year’s event to be a tremendous success.”

“As the established leader in creative gaming and arts education, we are very excited to play an integral role in the conference this year,” said Professor Lizbeth Goodman, Founder and Director of the SMARTlab Digital Media Institute and the MAGIC Multimedia and Games Innovation Centre, Gamelab and PLAYroom at the University of East London. “This is an international event delivered exclusively by serious games experts who are targetting people in the tourism, heritage, culture, health, defence and education sectors. This event offers Oman’s public sector an exciting opportunity to learn about serious gaming and understand how it can help promote Oman’s rich heritage and tourism offer as well as educate children in schools.”

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman and Winning Public Sector Business

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” stated Abeer Al Jasim of Knowledge Horizon speaking on presentation skills at the second of Origin Oman’s free workshops on winning public sector business held at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel. “Everyone has the ability to deliver successful presentations. All it takes is a little effort and practice. And of course you have to put in the work. It’s essential that you research, plan and prepare,” Al Jasim went on to explain.

Today’s workshop was the second in a pair of free workshops aimed at demystifying how the public sector buys goods and services. “We really want to get small businesses pitching for public sector contracts. We want them more active in the tender process. Developing small local business is a key part of the Origin Oman campaign,” said Hamida Al Balushi, Origin Oman Co-ordinator. “If we can help local manufacturers and service providers find opportunities for contracts with the public sector and show them how to respond to them correctly – how really to play to their strengths, then we’re well on our way to achieving our aim,” added Ibtisam Al Faruji Head of Marketing, Public Establishment for Industrial Estates.

“Today’s workshop was very well attended and attracted a range of local manufacturers and suppliers. If anyone missed it and wants to find out about the Origin Oman campaign or about manufacturing in the sultanate then they should visit the Origin Oman portal www.originoman.com,” commented Karim Rahemtulla, MD, Infocomm, the KOM-based company responsible for hosting and designing the Origin Oman portal.

The next event in the Origin Oman calendar is the Origin Oman Reception on 18 March at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel. For further details view www.originoman.com

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KOM Bridges the Digital Divide

The convergence of information technology, telecommunications, broadcasting and the delivery of Internet services at increasing bandwidths has the potential to revolutionize society economically, socially and culturally. Indeed, the Internet has ushered in the greatest period of wealth creation in history and has radically altered the way we deliver and receive information and the way we do business. However, it is estimated that more than 80 per cent of the world’s population has never even heard a dial tone, let alone surfed the Web and the gap between the information haves and have-nots is widening.

Announcing Knowledge Oasis Muscat’s (KOM) new season of Digital Nation seminars (http://www.kom.om/ev.htm) which are scheduled to start 7:30pm Tuesday 11 March at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel with a session on Bridging the Digital Divide, KOM’s Director General, Mohammed Al Maskari (pictured) warned of the danger of excluding people from the information revolution: "Across the globe, people lack jobs, food, health care and drinkable water. However, today, being cut off from basic telecommunications services is a hardship almost as acute as these other deprivations, and may indeed reduce the chances of finding remedies to them," he said.

The divide will grow as those with access to computers gain the skills to maximize the benefits of the Internet and those without become increasingly marginalized. This will impact on educational achievement, access to goods and services, participation in community life and employment. As Al Maskari, argues: “Increasingly, in the future, what we earn will be based on what we learn. We need to make sure that those opportunities are open to all.”

Lack of access to information technology and the Internet is seen as one of the measures of social exclusion. “Look at what’s happening in Europe and the US,” comments KOM’s Director General, “communities are finding that banks are developing online services but closing local branches. Supermarkets are moving to out of town sites and launching online delivery services. Those who don’t have transport or Internet access are reliant on more expensive local shops or no provision at all. We should be aware of these trends.”

Several solutions to the digital divide have been proposed including local training centres, cyber-cafes, telecottages and digital 'champions' to develop ICT projects in Oman’s rural areas. “The 11 March panel will discuss these issues as well as matters related to telecommunication infrastructure and competition and the urgent need to develop local web content,” says Al Maskari.

Karim Rahemtulla, MD, Infocomm and sponsor of Digital Nation remarks: “If you look at what broadband or ICT in general can bring they are better education, better health care and greater economic development. However, if we’re to reap the benefits of broadband and ICT then we need to look at how we get more people online and I believe initiatives like KOM’s Digital Nation series go a long way to helping us tackle these difficult matters.”

The Digital Nation series is sponsored by Ericsson, Infocomm, Nawras, Omania e-Commerce and United Media Service. Digital Nation seminars are open to all and free of charge. Further details on the quarterly program can be viewed at: http://www.kom.om/ev.htm

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Face to Face With Origin Oman

The government’s newly-launched Origin Oman marketing campaign, a domestic initiative created to promote Oman-made products and services will organize Face-to-Face – a meet-the-buyer event scheduled to be held at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel on Tuesday 25 March. The event is open to all and free-of-charge.

The Face-to-Face initiative has been designed to help Omani businesses understand the commercial opportunities that exist in the public sector and with larger private sector organizations. “This is a unique one-day event which will give Omani businesses the chance to meet, and find out how sell to buyers from the public sector and large firms,” says Ibtisam Al Faruji, PEIE’s Head of Marketing and the person spearheading the Origin Oman marketing campaign.

“Omani businesses know only too well how time consuming, frustrating and expensive selling can be. In fact, ninety per cent of the battle is just getting though the door – and with some large companies and public sector organizations, it can be a daunting experience, but we hope Face-to-Face on 25 March will help businesses and public sector organizations connect with one another and lift barriers,” comments Hamida Al Balushi of PEIE’s Marketing Department and Origin Oman Project Co-ordinator.

The objective says Al Balushi is simple – get businesses in front of buyers who need their products or services, so that businesses can sell to them. Indeed, the event will allow companies to pitch their goods or services to purchasers who are actively looking for contractors. Face-to-Face is also intended to reach out to a talented pool of Omani suppliers who can not only add value to the sultanate’s supply chain, but also provide innovative and cost-effective business solutions. It’s an event we on the Origin Oman team are really excited about, adds Al Balushi.

"Taking part in Face-to-Face will open up new ways of working with both the public sector and large firms and give participants the confidence to build relationships and win business,” stresses Al Faruji.

If you would like to get involved and be part of Origin Oman’s Face-to-Face day, contact Hamida Al Balushi on: hamida.albalushi@peie.om

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman - Buy Local Campaign

“Our aim is to raise the profile of locally made goods and services” says Ibtisam Al Faruji, Head of Marketing at PEIE and the person spearheading the government’s newly-launched Origin Oman marketing campaign, a domestic initiative designed to promote Oman-made products and services and urge institutional buyers and consumers to buy local first.

While buy local campaigns have been around for generations, "the idea behind Origin Oman is to get people to think more about where their Rials are being spent and what it means to the sultanate from an economic, community and environmental angle to buy locally-made goods and services," Al Faruji says.

As part of the Origin Oman campaign, PEIE is organizing a series of events to help local manufacturers and service providers raise their domestic profile. “We start the program on Monday 25 February with a half-day workshop at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel on How to Win Public Sector Business,” says Al Faruji. The workshop is being carried out with the support of the Tender Board, Oman Fibre Optic, Oman Cables Industry, Infocomm and Knowledge Horizon and is intened to introduce local firms to the in and outs of the tendering process.

PEIE’s Head of Marketing points to a range of international studies that show the impact local businesses have on the economy. Research indicates that for every RO36 local retailers bring in through sales, businesses return RO25 to the local economy through salaries and benefits, purchase of goods and services like office supplies, marketing, PR, IT and accounting, profits to local owners and charitable contributions.

In recent years, businesses and government organizations in countries around the world have united to launch campaigns encouraging citizens to buy local, and many of these have proven to be highly successful.

Of course local manufacturers and service providers keep more money in the local economy - but less obvious is just how much difference buying locally made products and services can make. Research from San Francisco found that even the smallest shift in customer spending can have a tremendous impact on the local economy. If 10% of residential spending were redirected toward local businesses, the study found, it would give San Francisco an RO75 million economic boost and generate nearly 1,300 new jobs.

“Given the bank of evidence from buy local initiatives carried out around the world, if we can convince institutional buyers and consumers to redirect just 10% of their spending toward locally made goods and services it would have a tremendous impact on our local economy,” suggests Al Faruji.

“I think one of the most interesting aspects of the Origin Oman campaign is its capacity to bring local manufacturers, service providers and business owners together to reach their customers collectively and deliver a stronger punch. In fact, the Winning Public Sector Business Workshop that Origin Oman is hosting on Monday at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel is a clear example of this,” comments Karim Rahemutulla, MD, Infocomm and supporter of the Origin Oman initiative.

In general, business owners see buy-local campaigns as an easy sell. According to Al Faruji, “The public is highly receptive to the message, and even if many may not initially consider whether they’re buying locally-made goods and services, all it takes is a gentle reminder for them to change their spending habits.”

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman - Wining Public Sector Business

Small business often ignore public sector tenders because of a perceived big company bias and the reams of red tape involved. But recent efforts to open up the procurement process to more SMEs means Oman-based entrepreneurs should consider securing a slice of the millions of Rials worth of contracts up for grabs.

In an effort to help local SMEs learn more about the tendering process, Origin Oman, the buy local campaign spearheaded by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), will hold two free-of-charge seminars on Winning Public Sector Business 25 February and 4 March at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel.

Much of the perceptions about dealing with the public sector are true. It has on occasions been difficult to find out which tenders have been released and with small business owners already having to cope with huge amounts of form filling, the prospect of dealing with further paperwork which can be rejected because of a simple mistake can be off putting. “Representatives from the Tender Board as well as the private sector will be presenting at the two workshops, this will give small businesses a real opportunity to get an insight into how the tender process works. We’ve already received a number of companies register, particularly from the manufacturing sector,” comments Ibtisam Al Faruji, PEIE’s Head of Marketing.

But with efforts to encourage local SMEs to enjoy a share of the money spent every year by government on procuring goods and services, Oman-based entrepreneurs should not shun the idea. “Yes, the process can be time consuming and bureaucratic but if you're prepared to do your research and establish a good relationship with the public sector, your company could reap huge benefits,” says Al Faruji.

Indeed, by achieving greater involvement of local SMEs in the government market place there will be wider benefits to Oman’s economy thereby promoting competition and innovation in government procurement.

Once a firm has established ties with a public organization, the chances of securing further contracts will rise dramatically. “Like their private sector counterparts, many government organizations prefer to work with suppliers they've dealt with before so if you've proved yourself you'll likely be able to get another slice of the pie,” suggests PEIE’s Head of Marketing.
Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

KOM to Host eGames Conference

Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) will host its third eGames Conference on the Rusayl-based technology park, 31 March – 1 April. According to Mohammed Al Maskari, KOM’s Director General: “this year’s program will consider the application of virtual environments (VEs) to tourism, heritage, culture, health, education, defence and the generation of local web content.”

Presenting at the two-day program include some of the world’s leading VE experts – including Professor Lizbeth Goodman, Director, SMARTlab, Digital Media Centre at the University of East London and Professor Bob Stone from Birmingham University.

“Virtual worlds have hit the mainstream,” suggests Ibtisam Al Faruji, KOM’s Head of Marketing. Today they are being used not just for consumer applications, but also for a wide range of serious professional purposes. These purposes range from scenario planning to medical training and from collaborative role play to cross-cultural awareness sessions. “KOM’s eGames Conference will look at how private virtual worlds are being used now as the basis for serious collaborative activities in a variety of professional domains,” says Al Faruji.

For over a decade, there has been worldwide interest in the prospect of using VEs to recreate historic sites and events for such purposes as education, special project commissions and showcase features at national and World Heritage sites. According to Professor Stone (pictured): “The power of VE lies with its ability to open up places not normally accessible to people from all walks of life, to allow them to explore objects and experience events that could not normally be explored without alterations of scale or time and to support interaction with remote communities and interaction with virtual (historical) actors.”

In the context of heritage, VE goes much further, however, in that it offers a means of protecting the fragile state of historic sites and can help educate visitors not so much about their history, but in how to explore, interpret, understand and respect those sites. Despite some impressive projects executed during the Virtual Reality era of the 1990s, the limitations imposed by the very costly – and often unreliable – technologies meant that many of the Virtual Heritage demonstrations were committed to digital obscurity. Professor Stone’s eGames presentation will look at the resurrection of interest in Virtual Heritage and, using the Virtual Stonehenge and Virtual Scylla (artificial reef) projects and how lessons learned from the 1990s should be taken forward to underpin serious games developments in the early 21st Century.
“Given Oman’s rich history and outstanding cultural heritage, particularly our tangible cultural assets, I fully expect this year’s eGames Conference to be of substantial interest and value to those working in heritage, culture, leisure and tourism,” remarks Al Faruji.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

10 Reasons to Buy Local

1. Keep money in our community: Significantly more money re-circulates locally when purchases are made at locally owned businesses. This multiplier is due in part to locally owned businesses purchasing more often from other local businesses, service providers and farms. Research indicates that for every US$100 spent at a locally owned business, US$45 goes back into the community.

2. Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller locally-owned business owners than they do from large businesses.

3. Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun - all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of Oman’s distinctive character. Our tourism businesses also benefit. When people go on holiday they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.

4. Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

5. Create more jobs: Local businesses are large employers and provide job opportunities.

6. Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.

7. Invest in the local community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in the community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

8. Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and competitive prices over the long-term.

9. Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

10. Locally grown food tastes better: Food grown in your own community was probably picked within the past day or two. It's crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. Several studies have shown that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles. In a week-long (or more) delay from harvest to dinner table, sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality.

PEIE's Big Ideas Tent Opens 10 February

PEIE in partnership with the private sector is organizing a Big Ideas Tent seminar program and exhibition on Sohar Industrial Estate, Sunday 10 February.

The Big Ideas tent forms part of a series of PEIE-led initiatives that are intended to increase marketing, finance, education and technology awareness among manufacturers. The seminar and exhibition are free-of-charge and an excellent opportunity to meet with fellow business professionals and network. Over 35 leading manufacturers will be exhibiting at the event

“Manufacturing has certainly had some tough times, not just here but across the world,” says Ibtisam Al Faruji, PEIE’s Head of Marketing. “But the fact is that Omani industry is producing more today than ever before – our non-oil exports are on the increase and we’re creating jobs in the sector. We have world beating companies – our potential in plastics, metals and logistics, for example, is tremendous. Indeed, many of the seeds for tomorrow’s manufacturing success are being sown in Sohar. The “Origin Oman” stamp has a great future, The point is that you don’t have to look far to see manufacturing alive and kicking here in Oman. What our success stories have in common is that that they are about the appliance of science and technology with highly skilled people,” says PEIE’s Marketing Head

With increasing global competition, Oman-based manufacturers face a number of growing challenges from reducing costs, improving marketing, packaging, design and product quality, training, introducing new technology through to speeding up production processes. “The Big Ideas Tent has been designed specifically to help our tenants respond to these challenges,” comments Al Faruji.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Education & Manufacturing Partnership

PEIE launched its second season of Oman Manufacturing Group (OMG) seminars on Monday night at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel.

The topic under discussion was Education, Training and Manufacturing: Going Global and the panellists included: Abdullah Al Jufaili, Intilaaqah Enterprise Fund; Abeer Abdullah, Knowledge Horizon; Professor Andrew Self, Serco; Steve Bakalis, Ministry of Higher Education; Talal Al Rahbi, Information Technology Authority; and Dr. Evanglous Asendras, Sultan Qaboos University. The 90 minute panel discussion was moderated by Infocomm’s Managing Director, Karim Rahemtulla. Over 180 people from manufacturing, business, education and government attended the seminar.

Nurturing talent, creativity and building stronger dialogue between manufacturing and higher education were the key themes of the evening. “If we aren’t designing the right degree courses, if manufacturing isn’t in dialogue with colleges and universities then how are we to produce the skilled knowledge workers required to take Oman’s manufacturing sector forward?” asks OMG Co-ordinator and PEIE Marketing Officer, Mulkie Al Hashmi. The objective behind the OMG series is to bring the relevant stakeholders together and discuss issues of concern to Oman’s manufacturing sector. According to Al Hashmi: “Monday night’s session was very well received and we were delighted with the feedback.”

On developing and attracting talent to the manufacturing sector, Rahemtulla says: “The most important national and corporate resource over the next 20 years will be talent. Smart, sophisticated businesspeople who are technologically literate, globally astute and operationally agile. And even as the demand for talent goes up, the supply of it will be going down. So, if we’re to compete globally, we’ve got to get our heads round this issue and look seriously at how we train, educate, attact and retain the right human capital. The OMG seminar addressed these issues squarely. I’m confident that as a result of Monday night’s discussion we’lll see a revitalized education and manufacturing relationship emerge.”

It was evident from the panel discussion and the questions raised by attendees that innovation is critical to the future success of manufacturing and wealth creation in Oman. This is a hard economic fact. Government, the private sector and education, need to work together to create the best possible conditions for innovation in manufacturing, to put innovation at the centre of corporate strategies and to convey to young people the excitement and challenges of the advances taking place today in manufacturing, entrepreneurship, science and technology. “Manufacturing is an exciting sector and we’ve got to get that message out to Oman’s youth – encourage them to study, maths, science and engineering and create industry role models. In particular, we’ve got to get this message across to young women,” says Knowledge Horizon’s Abeer Abdullah.

“We need to see government, manufacturing, higher education, schools and support providers coming together on a more regular basis. Such meetings would play an important role in creating a network and co-ordinated structure that could improve the viability, growth and competitiveness of the sultanate’s manufacturing community. PEIE’s OMG seminar program plays an important role in this regard,” suggests Abeer.

The importance of partnerships was highlighted by Professor Andrew Self, former Pro-Vice Chancellor, Kingston University, London and advisor to Oman’s Minister of Higher Education, HE Dr. Rawiya Al Busaidi on the Colleges of Applied Science: “We need to encourage, for example, partnerships between manufacturers, using clusters and networks to pool their strengths and share best practice. Between manufacturers and universities and colleges to exploit research and provide the skilled people manufacturing needs. Between government and manufacturing to create the best possible conditions for innovation and provide the co-ordinated support manufacturers need to be innovative.” He added: “We also need to promote strategies that focus on innovation in products, people and processes. If this can be accomplished then we’ll raise productivity and higher level skills development within the economy.”

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE