In a Titah marking Brunei Darussalam's 34th National Day, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam urged for younger generation rich in new ideas and not averse to challenges to move the country forward and breathe new life into the country's development efforts. His Majesty the Sultan also acknowledged that the widespread use of information technology played a vital role in development and is leading the shift towards a digital economy.
One of the ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Communications and AITI in encouraging the youths towards supporting innovation through technology is the Brunei ICT Awards, BICTA. This annual ICT competition is aimed at stimulating innovation and creativity in ICT among individuals, students and industry players.
With the theme 'Digital Generation with a Vision', BICTA 2018 emphasised the importance of encouraging a generation of digital natives who can become a driving force in achieving Brunei's Vision 2035. It is hoped that this digital generation, who was brought up in the age of technology that will produce the latest technological developments or innovative products and solutions.
For the first time, shortlisted participants went through a series of workshops and seminars known as BICTA Plus, to prepare participants for the competition, and more importantly to provide them with the knowledge and skills to develop market-ready products. The facilitators and trainers for BICTA Plus had been carefully selected from various industries so as to give a more holistic view into how developers and entrepreneurs can take a product from ideation, validation to realisation and ultimately commercialisation.
Aside from the 3 main categories which are the School, Tertiary and ICT Industry, this year's competition also included the Royal Patron Award. This biennial award is given to the "Best of the Best" product among all categories.
This year, Mindplus Education Sdn Bhd was awarded the Royal Patron Award during BICTA 2018 held on 30 August 2018, for their 'Mindtrex' platform. The Royal Patron Award was presented by His Royal Highness Prince Al Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, as the Royal Patron of BICTA.
In the School Project category, a team from St John's School in Kuala Belait took first place for their mental health application, 'Hope'. Chung Ching Middle School in Seria finished in second place for their tourism application, 'BruLife', while third place went to Chung Hua Middle School in Kuala Belait for their application, 'Instant Health Aid'. Cash prizes of BND3,000, BND2,000 and BND1,000 were respectively won by the teams and all of them were awarded trophies and certificates.
Meanwhile, in the Tertiary Project category, grants for product development amounting to BND7,000 and BND3,500 were awarded to teams in first and second places. The third place team received a cash prize of BND1,750. All three teams were awarded trophies and certificates.
His Royal Highness Prince Al Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office graced BICTA 2019 Award Ceremony.
Mindplus Education Sdn. Bhd. won Royal Patron Award and 1st Place Winner in ICT Industry catgeory
