[KBIs] Seeding the Development of the Knowledge Based Industries in Palestine First Workshop

“Seeding the Development of the Knowledge Based Industries in Palestine”
1st workshop
Date: 02-July-2009
Time: 3.00 p.m.-6 p.m.
Place: the Centre for Continuing Education- Ramallah

Attendance:

Workshop Objectives:

• Reviewing potential fields and areas in KBIs that can be adopted in our employment model.

• Determining the best methods for interfacing with companies in these areas in order to achieve full partnership with them.

Brain storming methodology:

• 9 colored cards (3 of each color) were given to each participant. Each one wrote on the first colored cards: the ideas/fields that the local associations need. They wrote on the second colored cards the stakeholders who are interested in the said sectors. On the third colored cards, they wrote the interaction ways.

Sectors of KBIs
The information technology (IT)

• T.V. through internet (web TV).
• 3D animation
• Computer programming
• Graphic design
• Software engineering and IT
• IT, such as the application programs, websites and mobile phones.
• Software localization (software translation and customization).

The stakeholders interested in the IT sector

• The visual information companies (T.V.)
• The communication companies.
• Advertisements designing companies.
• Programming companies especially any company that looks for establishing or developing programs or websites.

Education

• Training and education
• E-learning
• Academic advice via internet and communication tools
• Vocational and training development
• Applying technology at the education taking into account that technology is a tool and not a goal to be reached.
• Innovative writing and editing.
• Learning/ teaching/ training.

Stakeholders interested in the Education sector

• Anyone who wants to learn
• The trainer/trainee and the school as a unit for development. The vocational enhancement program will be established within the school context.
• The individuals and associations worldwide.
• Learning associations, training centers, and the huge companies.
• Training associations and analytical experts.
• The Palestinian students inside and outside homeland.
• Trainees at the different associations.

Engineering

• Engineering services
• Designing
• Architectural engineering
• Computer engineering.

Stakeholders related to the engineering sector

• Engineering companies in Palestine.

Others

• Psychiatric treatment via the internet
• Translation (Arabic-English and vice verse) and other languages.
• Tourism
• Multimedia

Stakeholders interested in the other suggested sectors

• Publication houses and the mass media
• International companies
• Advertising and information companies

The interaction methods for all mentioned sectors included the following:

• Improving the services through advertising
• Enhancing the general frame work outside
• Visiting companies
• Establishing a branch outside the country.
• Training the centers at Gaza- technical development.
• The practical training
• Getting the stakeholders involved at designing of the programs
• Create contracts to hire the graduates
• Conduct field studies to facilitate the cooperation among the associations
• Present practical samples
• Present positive samples
• Communicating with the related companies.
• Communicating with the teachers, trainers, and the researchers to design the training programs based on their needs.
• Create connection channels with the associations and the public.
• Direct communication and promotion

Identifying the most potential sector:
Participants were asked to fill out the following table:

Knowledge based industries in Palestine (IDRC )- الصناعات القائمة على المعرفة في فلسطين

Please give a grade from 1 to 10 for each sector on the flipchart and its attributes:

• Very low 5- medium 10- very high

Can you determine the most potential sector according to the grades ?

As a final stage in the workshop, each participant was asked to say what is the most potential sector in KBIs that we shall search and enhance in our project?
The main ideas were the following:

• The attendees pointed out that the programming and the IT sectors are the most important sectors as they are crucial for the economic sectors as a whole.
• The representatives of “Bela Hodood” company points out to the importance of the soft ware engineering sector such as the web application.
• The representatives of GSSI suggested focusing on the customer call centre support and the education sectors.
• Others suggested that there is an opportunity to focus on many sectors at the same time.