52 episodes

Technology industry buzzwords like IoT, Smart Cities, PropTech, 5G and AI have the potential to deliver transformative change, so WHY DO THEY FAIL TO LIVE UP TO THE HYPE?

The TechBurst Asia podcast is a fresh dose of PRAGMATISM for an industry that relies on COMPLACENT OPTIMISM.

We’ll talk to global industry leaders to get their take on the latest buzzwords and tackle the important questions like...

- What is 5G and do we really need it?
- How has the pandemic impacted Smart Cities?
- What is holding back the adoption of emerging technology, including AI, Drones & Smart Buildings?
- Is Sustainability finally ready to take off?
- How is Asia's start-up ecosystem developing?

The TechBurst Asia podcast is your one-stop shop to keep up-to-date with Asia's technology ecosystem.

TechBurst Asia Podcast Charles Reed Anderson

    • Technology
    • 5.0 • 1 Rating

Technology industry buzzwords like IoT, Smart Cities, PropTech, 5G and AI have the potential to deliver transformative change, so WHY DO THEY FAIL TO LIVE UP TO THE HYPE?

The TechBurst Asia podcast is a fresh dose of PRAGMATISM for an industry that relies on COMPLACENT OPTIMISM.

We’ll talk to global industry leaders to get their take on the latest buzzwords and tackle the important questions like...

- What is 5G and do we really need it?
- How has the pandemic impacted Smart Cities?
- What is holding back the adoption of emerging technology, including AI, Drones & Smart Buildings?
- Is Sustainability finally ready to take off?
- How is Asia's start-up ecosystem developing?

The TechBurst Asia podcast is your one-stop shop to keep up-to-date with Asia's technology ecosystem.

    052: THE MIDDLE EAST STARTUP ECOSYSTEM: The money is there, now what?

    052: THE MIDDLE EAST STARTUP ECOSYSTEM: The money is there, now what?

    If you keep up to date with the latest technology news, you know that the momentum and investment has shifted from Asia to the Middle East. But gone are the days where countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE just import technology and talent - the new trend across the Middle East is how to create a home-grown technology startup ecosystem - and this is what we are going to cover in today’s podcast. 
    Let’s face it - money is not going to be an issue - but as we have seen from other countries, just throwing money at the startup ecosystem is no guarantee that it will be successful. 
    To help us go through this topic, we are joined by the Partner & Co-Founder of SparkLabs Group, Bernard Moon. SparkLabs has made a name for itself by launching accelerators and VC funds in Asia, Australia and the US, but now they are entering the Middle East market, so let’s see what has drawn SparkLabs to that region - and what Bernard thinks will be the critical success factors to making sure they get a return on their investments. 
    Show Notes:
    00:00 Intro to Bernard Moon and SparkLabs Group
    02:30 SparkLabs new accelerator programs in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi
    06:00 How does SparkLabs plan to find the “best of the best” startups in the Middle East
    08:45 Do you see any similarities between the Middle East markets and other countries where you have had success with your accelerators (e.g. Korea, Taiwan)? And are there any specific opportunities and / or risks compared to the other markets you operate in? 
    14:30 What are the critical success factors for the Middle East markets to develop a home grown startup ecosystem? And what is the role of academia in creating this?
    20:30 What does SparkLabs look for in startups that they want to invest in? And are there any red flags that you watch out for?
    24:00 What will it take for SparkLabs to view their entry into the Middle East accelerator market a success?
    26:00 What can countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE learn from other markets, like Singapore, that haven’t made the most of their investment / funding of their local startup ecosystem?
    30:00 Why are startups keen to be involved with SparkLabs versus the many other accelerator programs in the market?
    33:00 Last week, SparkLabs listed it’s USD 100m SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) on Nasdaq. Can you give us an overview of how this came about and what your strategy for the SPAC is?
    More information on SparkLabs can be found here:
    Contact Bernard directly: bernard@sparklabsglobal.com 
    SparkLabs Saudi Arabia
    SparkLabs Korea
    SparkLabs Taiwan
    SparkLabs Cultiv8
    SparkLabs Group
     

    • 39 min
    AI, CHATGPT & FLYING TAXIS: How Government-led initiatives drive the Middle East's Innovation Ecosystem

    AI, CHATGPT & FLYING TAXIS: How Government-led initiatives drive the Middle East's Innovation Ecosystem

    In Part II of our Middle East Deep Dive, we talk with Carrington Malin to find out how the government's in the Middle East are driving unprecedented growth and innovation. 
    But it's more than just the tech, they are up-skilling their workforces and training students on how to leverage emerging technologies to transform the traditional industries that support their economies - and develop new ones. Exciting times to say the least...
    Show Notes:
    1:00 Intro to Carrington Malin and the various roles he has played in the Middle East’s technology ecosystem for the past 30 years. 
    5:00 How Middle East governments are driving innovation that leverages emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence by dedicating funds to support their initiatives and creating detailed action plans and deliverables to ensure they go beyond the hype. 
    11:00 The region’s plans to build “home-grown” taken to support it’s tech and innovation initiatives
    16:00 The growth in large language models (e.g. Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institutes Falcom LLM that rivals ChatGPT and OpenAI)
    23:00 How government policies and regulations will ensure the countries like Dubai will lead the way globally around autonomous vehicles - and not just self-driving taxis, they are getting ready for flying taxis
    30:00 How government-led initiatives is transforming the region’s talent pool
    You can follow Carrington's Middle East AI News on Substack and LinkedIn.

    • 46 min
    RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? How the Middle East is driving technology innovation and spend

    RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? How the Middle East is driving technology innovation and spend

    This is the first in a series on Technology and Innovation trends in the Middle East. Things have gone quiet in Asia post-pandemic - and the global recession has not helped. 
    However, the Middle East is thriving. 
    Hardly a week goes by where there isn’t another jaw-dropping announcement related to emerging technologies like AI, autonomous vehicles and the Metaverse in the Middle East - or the massive investment in initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s NEOM. 
    To help us delve deeper into the Middle East’s technology innovation landscape, I’m joined by Danial Mausoof. He's based in Abu Dhabi, but covers the Middle East and Africa as part of his job, so we are lucky to have him with us to share his unique insights and perspectives.
    Show Notes:
    02:45 Key market trends in the Middle East
    06:30 The Talent Issue: How the Middle East is starting to build a local talent pool to drive and support innovation
    08:30 Overview of the three key markets: Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi
    13:00 Why the recession has not derailed tech spend in the Middle East.
    16:45 The state of 5G in the Middle East - and why they could lead in 5G monetisation
    23:00 Artificial Intelligence: How the combination of investment, education and regulation is making the Middle East a leader in AI
    28:00 Smart Cities: How the greenfield Smart Cities like NEOM will drive global innovation
    33:00 Autonomous Vehicles: How the Middle East’s progressive regulatory environments have ensured they will lead in self-driving taxis and, believe it or not, flying taxis
    40:00 Our future forecasts - when will we go beyond the hype on….
    5G 5G monetisation Artificial Intelligence Large Language Models (e.g. ChatGPT) Metaverse Smart Cities Autonomous Vehicles

    • 48 min
    PROPTECH 2023: Moving Beyond the Buzzwords

    PROPTECH 2023: Moving Beyond the Buzzwords

    In this episode, we are joined by Jordan Kostelac, co-founder of Deploy Capital, to discuss the current state - and what the future holds - for PropTech in Asia Pacific. 
    Show Notes:
    02:50 What the hell is PropTech and is it still a buzzword?
    02:45 Intro to Jordan Kostelac, Asia’s PropTech Provocateur
    06:45 Jordan’s experience working with PropTech startups with the JLL & Lendlease “Propell Asia” accelerator programme.
    08:05 Examples of PropTech startups in Asia that are delivering value
    13:45 How will PropTech in Asia evolve in the future?
    22:15 AI & PropTech: so many opportunities, but what about the security and data privacy risks?
    34:20 How will the next wave of emerging technologies, including web3, the metaverse and ChatGPT, impact PropTech.
    39:45 Jordan’s new venture, Deploy Capital, that combines blockchain, PropTech & venture capital. 
    43:45 Look to the future - if PropTech succeeds, what did we do right? And if it fails, what did we screw up?
    45:45 Tell us something about yourself that will surprise us? 
    Stay in touch with Jordan
    Twitter: @scopelessness 
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jkostelac/
    www.jordankostelac.net
    Stay in touch with Deploy Capital
    Twitter: @deplo0x 
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deploycapital-online/ 
    deploycapital.online
     

    • 48 min
    048: Why RETURN TO THE OFFICE Strategies FAIL (Hint: FREE BEER is not enough)

    048: Why RETURN TO THE OFFICE Strategies FAIL (Hint: FREE BEER is not enough)

    We need to face the facts - our Return to the Office strategies are failing. Giving away free beer once a week is not enough to make our employees WANT to come back to the office. So what will make them? That’s what we are going to discuss today. 
    I’m joined by Helen Snowball, JLL’s Global Head of People Solutions and Experience, to discuss how showing empathy, creating purpose and delivering enhanced employee experiences are the keys to attracting and retaining talent in the post pandemic world. 
    Show notes:
    00:30  Intro to Helen Snowball, Global Head of People Solutions and Experience, JLL
    03:30  How delivering enhanced employee experiences can help attract and retain the best talent
    07:55  How JLL has managed the transition back to the office for its 100,000+ workforce by implementing the hybrid model that employees want
    12:30  How upskilling middle management to manage hybrid work environments is vital to make your return to the office successful 
    14:30  Why ignoring the human impact of the pandemic - and a lack of empathy - has led to the failure of most our return to the office strategies  
    18:30  The importance of trust when implementing a hybrid work strategy - and why hybrid should be viewed as an opportunity, not a threat
    23:30  What can companies do (spoiler alert: focus on purpose) to attract and retain the best talent and mitigate the risk of the Great Resignation?

    31:30  What mistakes do companies make with their return to the office strategies and initiatives?
    34:30  What advice do you have for people trying to redesign their organisations for the Future of Work?
    37:30  What do you do to keep yourself motivated, energised and inspired?

    • 40 min
    Driving INNOVATION and SUSTAINABILITY in the F&B Industry

    Driving INNOVATION and SUSTAINABILITY in the F&B Industry

    One of the challenges with Sustainability is that while people like talking about it, it can be hard to find people driving real impact. But luckily for you, today’s guest is one that it driving impact. In this episode of the TechBurst Asia podcast, we will speak to Adrien Desbaillets, the CEO and Co-Founder of Salad Stop, about the growth of his business - and how they were able to deliver SouthEast Asia’s first Net Zero F and B outlet.
     
    00:30 Intro to Adrien & SaladStop!  
    05:00 How technology and a drive to innovate has contributed to their expansion to 65 stores in 8 markets across Asia
    07:15 How SaladStop! Incorporates sustainability into its strategy and operations, including launching Southeast Asia’s first Net Zero F&B outlet
    09:40 The challenges SaladStop! overcame to launch a Net Zero store - and what challenges they will have to overcome to have all their stores achieve Net Zero by 2030.
    13:15 How SaladStop! Educates its customers on their sustainability journey 
    14:55 What does the future hold for SaladStop!?
    16:15 What advice do you have for someone who is interested in starting a F&B business, raising Venture Capital funding and creating a Net Zero store?
    19:45 Adrien’s passion for wearable technology
    22:15 If you had to start a new business that couldn’t be in the F&B industry, what would it be and why?
     
     

    • 24 min

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