THE Ministry of Development has expressed interest in Swedish technologies to better and speed up development processes in future housing projects in Brunei.
The Ministry yesterday attended a meeting with visiting Swedish delegation comprising of members of the Embassy of Sweden to Brunei and Singapore, and the Swedish Business Association of Singapore (SBAS) to explore business opportunities in Brunei.
In a press interview after the meeting, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Eddie Dato Paduka Hj Sunny said the ministry is interested to "hear of the new technologies Sweden has to offer". He added that the national housing schemes had been mentioned as the ministry's main focus, in hopes that Sweden will be able to offer their expertise in building technology. "At the moment, our construction methodology is still brick and mortar. This doesn't help much in terms of speeding up the construction process. We need to be looking into new technologies," he told the press. President of SBAS, Jan B. Djerf, pointed out that there will be numerous business opportunities between the two countries with representatives from different sectors visiting Brunei on the tour as proof of their interest. Swedish ambassador to Singapore and Brunei, Ingemar Dolfe, noted that Sweden can offer expertise in various areas such as healthcare, IT infrastructure and environmental issues. "There are numerous areas where Sweden is in the top of the lead," he said.
Although there are no concrete plans for collaborations yet, the deputy permanent secretary said the ministry will keep its doors open to hear of any Swedish innovation that can be of use for future housing or development projects.
The meeting with the Swedish delegation is still at its introductory stage, and both parties are currently trying to identify and establish potential fields of collaboration, said the deputy permanent secretary. The Deputy Permanent Secretary said that Swedish technologies makes a good choice for Brunei as "they are high in innovation", with brands such as IKEA and Volvo becoming household names for their cutting-edge technology.
The Brunei Times
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Development, Eddie Dato Paduka Hj Sunny, pointing out the benefits of Swedish technology that development in Brunei can take advantage of. Picture: BT/ Low Leng May
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
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