Exclusive Trusted Magazine Q&A with Eyab Mijwal, Innovation Manager at SMP | CISM - PMP - AWS
How could you describe your career path in a few words?
Every path in professional life differs significantly between individuals, even if their specializations or opportunities are similar. Each individual has a different imprint than others, characterized by the positive impact he leaves and a real role that makes a difference and change.
At the beginning of my life, I worked as a technical development officer at Al Mohileb Trading and Industry Company for about eight years, as this period formed my knowledge base and administrative experience, as my work since 2008 was based on innovation, which appeared in every project I work on, especially with the unlimited support of senior management. They gave us distinct powers in this field, and self-development continued from that day until I moved to Al-Kayed Brothers Company, which is one of the major industrial companies in which I worked as a director of information technology my period of work for my absolute belief in one's self-investment and versatility.
Today, I work at the Saudi Mining Polytechnic as Director of Creativity and Innovation. I have more than seventeen years of experience formed from multiple practices, skills, and unconventional thinking that made many achievements. an advanced and distinguished rank. Innovation did not only have a job title or job duties, but it was an outstanding career path I walked in for several years. Thank God, I have obtained many opportunities to develop innovation among our students at the Institute and the local community in several programs. I also obtained patents for safety, energy, and sustainability innovations. I also presented during the year 2022 my first book: Innovation and its Impact on the Individual and Society, which participated in a group of awards in 2023. I also received innovative awards, including the Golden Award in Professional Marketing and the Silver Award in Leadership Innovative Thinking from the International Stevie Award and the Distinguished Leadership Award during the Education 2.0 Conference in 2023.
What are the highlights of the key digital innovation trends for 2022? Can you give us some major examples?
Today, a group of innovative variables constitutes principal axes that constitute a leap from what we have known during previous years. However, there are already a group of trends that were distinguished during the year 2022, including:
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a modern concept that focuses on the commercial and academic fields, and its impact dates back to the year 1997 AD when the term was first mentioned. Still, the term cloud was developed metaphorically as it refers to the ability to access information via the Internet easily. It is characterized by many advantages, such as saving financial costs and intensive work on the security role in protecting data, which also contributed to highlighting successful business models.
Blockchain and Fintech
Blockchain is not similar to Fintech, except that the latter is innovatively based on the blockchain, as it is compatible. Blockchain technology is designed to make cryptocurrency applications. Still, in its basic concept, it is based on the existence of an information file for digital operations and data storage to record all transactions between the two parties quickly and efficiently, as no change can be made in these records. These records are distributed to everyone so that it is decentralized, distributed, and public, and this is the real value of it so that there is no central source for managing this information. No record can be modified in the operations carried out in it. This concept has evolved to include the provision of academic certificates and the sale procedure. The purchase of digital assets has also been worked on in the financial technology environment - FinTech, where it contributed to the development of knowledge of financial sector technology so that there is a new, more effective system.
Virtual reality technologies
Virtual reality technology is distinguished by a tremendous development during the year 2022 AD. Also, a large group of organizations and sectors looking to highlight innovation's role in the education, tourism, trade, arts, and industry sectors benefit from it. This technology provides a semi-realistic portrayal of the field to be developed. The tourists’ vision of hotels and places has been developed. Tourism and the quality of trips using virtual reality Also, technical and professional exercises were developed in the academic environment to contribute to educating students as an environment similar to work while preserving their safety in many other areas. The presence of thousands of patents characterized this trend, as this field has proven its importance and role in supporting the technical age.
I mentioned previously a few innovative technologies that had a wide impact in highlighting digital innovations. Undoubtedly, another group contributes to the development of digital society, as we annually witness a group of distinctive innovations.
Based on your experiences, what are the impactful trends in digital innovation that are becoming more important in the context of 2023?
This year, 2023, we see many innovative technologies developing at an accelerated rate and characterized by rapid access to the end user. This creates excellent opportunities characterized by scarcity, permanent development, and investor interest. The most important of these technical innovations are:
Automation:
Digital transformation and automation today harmonize beautifully, as automation provides innovative practices that contribute to accelerating digitization efforts for work procedures such as machine learning techniques, artificial intelligence, simple code, and robotics, and is characterized by scalability and reducing the total cost.
Datafication:
It is a modern concept about data, as the technology that we are contemporary with today enables us to monitor, record and analyze everything. This opens a new field for us in setting possibilities that companies can benefit from to achieve their customers' desires intelligently. Most of the global digital platforms with free services are based on the principle of collecting data from users and analyzing Their needs, and providing companies with them to reach them faster and optimally, as it is one of the methods that have an immediate impact on the user, as he sees the results of what he searches for extensively, to form full knowledge for him and puts the most significant opportunities in front of him to choose from them what suits him.
The government acceleration in completing transactions that we see in most countries and providing more services is related to the data and the considerable amount that reaches the servers automatically, and it has become a golden opportunity to benefit from it in governments and academies to facilitate the procedures of the beneficiaries of these services.
The most important innovative technology trends in change management are represented in the digital transformation race, which contributes to the effective use of technology and the adoption of agile methodologies that contribute to real change at the level of the individual and society, which is distinctively reflected in their lives.
In your opinion, how can they create high value for organizations?
Creating high value for organizations is an idea that has been going on for hundreds of years. There is great confidence that development and innovation are one of the most important means of creating value through the pursuit of research and development, and this is only through innovation. This path helps organizations to stay ahead of their counterparts from organizations where most of The sectors are competitive. This is done by creating value in the product or service to be distinguished from competitors. Many factors contribute to achieving value for each organization, the most prominent of which are the following:
Consider the value of the work:
Way to measure the impact of work from an economic perspective for the growth of organizations and the strengthening of relationships.
Ensuring the realization of the vision, goals, and values of the organization:
All these identifiers are the track on which the organization works, focusing on higher quality and efficiency that improves continuously.
Alignment across organizations to create value:
Focus on enhancing a work environment where joint work and transparency are established for excellent compatibility and trust.
As leaders in any organization, we must be keen to support teamwork, collaboration, and innovation. Accepting risk and developing the culture of the organization's employees into an innovative culture and a motivating environment to always be proactive in any work we do and always strive to adopt new ideas that reflect the preservation of the environment and reduce the consumption of natural resources.
