Dubai - MENA Herald: While the proliferation of technology has created unprecedented opportunities for growth, its disruptive power also poses considerable economic challenges, whether it is the dislocation of jobs or the growing digital divide, said John Chambers in a session titled ‘A Digital World and the Benefit for All People’ on the final day of the fifth World Government Summit in Dubai.
Chambers, Executive Chairman of Cisco Systems, believes that as governments embark on the process of digitization, they must ensure that this growth is inclusive and guarantee a better economic future for their populations
His key message was: “Disrupt or be disrupted.” Predicting that 40 percent of companies in the world will no longer exist in the next 10 years, he emphasized that it is essential for companies to reinvent themselves. “Companies that do not reinvent themselves will get left behind,” he said.
According to Chambers, the future of technology is not about robotics or drones, but about the tangible benefits worth US$19 trillion that digitization can bring to the global economy. To implement this vision, Chambers stressed companies need to think exponentially, like startups. Ha added: “Startups don’t think in small steps. They imagine what is possible and then, without fear, they go for it.”
Chambers also highlighted the need for good leadership to ensure that digital growth is inclusive. He said: “It starts with a leader’s decision to reinvent. You need a culture that embraces risk and is willing to change.” Citing the positive example of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added: “Modi has to create 1.2 million jobs per month. He owns this vision and motivates his team to execute it. He truly believes he can grow the per capita income of people in India.”
Equally optimistic about the Middle East, he said: “There has never been a better chance for peace in the Middle East than there is right now. The UAE has a chance to become the startup capital of the Middle East, and a role model for the rest of the world. Addressing the audience, he asked: “How many people believe it is possible to dream? You have a leader who does.”
The World Government Summit has attracted more than 4,000 personalities from over 139 countries. The attendees include VIPs and senior experts from the public and private sectors globally, ministers, decision makers, CEOs, innovators, officials, experts, entrepreneurs, academics, and university students. Several initiatives, reports and studies are set to be launched during the summit and throughout the year. The summit runs from February 12 to 14, 2017 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.
