A first of its kind in Bhutan, the platform seeks to promote local innovative ideas and solutions and foster an inclusive innovation ecosystem that is driven by user-led innovation.
Thimphu, 5 May 2023: The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (MoICE) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in collaboration with Druk Holding & Investments (DHI) inaugurated the National Innovation Platform (NIP) “Naykap Gokab” today. The launch showcased grassroots innovation, ideas and solutions.
The national innovation platform, Naykap Gokab has been initiated with the aim to provide Bhutanese citizens with a platform to share and record innovative ideas to address local challenges. The NIP’s primary objective is to create a space for collaboration and innovation that leverages the collective wisdom and expertise of Bhutanese citizens to create impactful solutions to the country’s most pressing challenges.
The NIP is designed to be an inclusive platform that is accessible to everyone—from farmers to students, entrepreneurs to policymakers, and grassroots innovators to tech innovators.
The platform aims to provide a vibrant space for the innovators to showcase their innovation in the short term. The medium-term goal is to help attract investments and public private partnerships to turn the ideas into reality, and test, implement and scale up solutions. The long-term goal is to strengthen the innovation ecosystem to transform the country’s economy and improve the lives of Bhutanese communities with innovation-driven growth and prosperity.
“Innovation is the key driver of progress and growth in today’s rapidly changing world,” said Lyonpo Karma Dorji, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Employment. “By creating a national innovation platform, we are sending a strong signal that innovation is a top priority for our country and that we are committed to fostering a culture of innovation that will enable us to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.”
“We are committed to building an economy driven by science, technology, engineering, and innovation. This partnership between UNDP, MoICE and DHI will go a long way in creating breakthrough projects and products that will impact the Bhutanese community and beyond,” said Ujjwal Dahal, CEO, DHI.
UNDP Resident Representative Mohammad Younus said innovation is key to tackling challenges, both small and big. “In UNDP, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. UNDP’s support to this platform stems from our partnership with the Royal Government to unleash the potential of the innovative spirit of the Bhutanese population, especially the youth.”
The platform will help the government make informed decisions. It will contribute towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
Clever Crew, a group of young developers brought the platform to life. They were selected from among 22 teams who competed in a hackathon organized by the then Ministry of Economic Affairs, DHI InnoTech and UNDP.
Link to NayKap Gokab: https://naykapgokab.bt/
For more information, please contact:
Dechen Wangmo, Communications Analyst, UNDP Bhutan; Email: dechen.wangmo@undp.org, Mobile: 17343086
Pallavi Sharma, Marketing & Communications Lead, DHI InnoTech; Email: pallavisharma@dhi.bt, Mobile: 17674996