Bangladesh Needs a Strong Innovation Ecosystem to Become a Technology Producer: Minister

Bangladesh must move beyond being a consumer of foreign technology and strengthen its own innovation, research and technological capabilities to emerge as a producer and exporter of technology, ICT, telecom, science and technology minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said on Saturday.

Speaking at the Bangladesh ICT and Innovation Awards 2026 at BRAC University in Dhaka, he said the government was working to establish a “Made in Bangladesh” brand in areas including artificial intelligence, semiconductor design, software, data centres and digital services.

The minister said Bangladesh aimed to become one of the world’s leading digital economies within the next five years by shifting from a labour-intensive to a knowledge-based economy. He emphasised the importance of youth innovation, technological skills and research in achieving that goal.

He said transforming prototypes into commercially viable products and industries would require research, investment and policy support. He urged private-sector entrepreneurs and investors to act as first customers for young innovators, facilitate pilot projects and invest in promising technologies.

He also stressed the need for stronger collaboration between universities and industry, saying the government would support young innovators in showcasing their technologies on international platforms.

Science and Technology Secretary Md Anwar Hossain said Bangladesh continued to face challenges in marketing, incubation and commercialisation despite various initiatives to promote innovation.

The government was working to build an integrated, innovation-friendly environment and foster a culture of innovation, he said. Although Bangladesh had relatively strong research infrastructure, effective links between academia, industry and government remained limited.

Without such connections, research and innovation could not be translated into economic and social impact, Anwar said, highlighting the need for skilled human resources, financing, policy support and a strong innovation ecosystem.

He said the first Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026 had brought innovators, investors, financial institutions, academics and industry representatives together on a common platform. Initiatives were also underway to strengthen intellectual property protection, improve access to finance, provide tax incentives for research and development, and facilitate the import of advanced research equipment.

Anwar said achieving the goal of a $1 trillion economy by 2034 would require Bangladesh to place greater emphasis on research, innovation and knowledge-based growth alongside manufacturing.

He identified four key pillars: science, technology, engineering, mathematics and human-resource development; research-to-market; innovation-to-market; and frontier technologies. Priority areas, he said, included semiconductors, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology and space research.

BTRC Chairman Major General Md Emdad Ul Bari (retd) said connectivity alone was insufficient to drive digital transformation.

“What is needed is quality internet, appropriate devices and affordable prices. Our goal is to ensure regulation supports rather than obstructs innovation,” he said.

The event, organised by the Bangladesh ICT and Innovation Network, brought together academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators, students and representatives from public and private organisations.

Nine innovations received champion awards across institutional, student and individual/team categories. The winning projects were Sokrio DMS, MyECGAI, The Sukhi Way, AgentIAM, Chronic, Sync V-1: Braille Embosser, Arbor, BrailleBridge and Bindo.

The champions and other winners will be nominated to represent Bangladesh at the Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance Awards 2026.