118 / 246
114
Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2020
third quarter of 2019, the figure stood at 131.6
per cent.
With an increasing mobile penetration rate in
the country, the government encourages local
digital media startups to explore the Internet of
Things (IoT).
IoT is a network of devices that can be
connected together and share data with each
other through the Internet such as computers
and smartphones. However, IoT may extend
to everyday items such as household lights,
thermostats, cars, refrigerators, security
systems, doorbells and more. The possibilities
are vast.
According to the IoT 2019 report released by BI
Intelligence, the IoT market is on pace to grow
to over USD3 trillion annually by 2026, with
more than 64 billion IoT devices.
Agrotechnology
There are various industries that can benefit
from IoT, one of which is agriculture. Smart
farming based on IoT technology enables
farmers to monitor the field conditions anytime
and anywhere. Farmers can automate processes
based on the field data, such as supplying water
when the soil is dry.
Agrotechnology, combined with IoT, plays
an important role as Brunei aims to be self-
sufficient in food while moving towards a Smart
Nation. On April 9, 2019, AITI and Universiti
Teknologi Brunei (UTB) signed an agreement to
embark on two projects under UTB.
The first project, Smart Environment, proposes
an IoT-based solution for peat swamp forest
monitoring. Smart Environment targets envi-
ronmental and agricultural issues in Malaysia,
Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei.
The second project, Smart Agriculture, involves
a smart watering system. Using IoT technology,
the project aims to develop a smart alternate
wetting and drying for paddy plantation and
improve rice yield. The project also aims to
optimise the water and soil usage to avoid
wastage.
Awarding creativity and innovation
Divided across several demographic and
institutional divisions, the Crown Prince CIPTA
Award is the nation’s highest competition award
for creativity, innovation and technology. The
competition involves inventing and modifying
a product, process, or technology, among many
others. Participants from other ASEAN countries
are welcome to enter the competition. In 2019,
the competition received 41 entries, 14 of which
were from other ASEAN countries.
Optimising business operations
around the world
With global presence in over 100 countries,
Schneider Electric (SE) is a leading specialist
in energy management and automation. The
company combines world-leading energy
technologies, automation, software and
services for homes, buildings, data centres,
infrastructure and industries.
SE’s clients range from regional companies to
the world’s largest corporations with long-term
partnerships. The company’s commitment to
innovation, diversity and sustainability ensures
that “Life is On” everywhere, for everyone and
at every moment. Since the establishment of
its Brunei branch office in 2013, SE has been
helping individuals and organisations make
the most out of their energy with optimised
business operations.