Distinguished Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to welcome you on this webinar about Strengthening the Global Technology
Community to Established a Better Society and Advanced Economy.
In this virtual conference room, I recognize some familiar names of participants from
governments, the private sector and major groups.

I am sure we are also reaching out to many new practitioners, technologists, innovators, business
professionals and civil society representatives. A warm welcome to you all.

Dear colleagues,

We all understand the importance of science, technology and innovation in our day-to-day lives
and the ways in which they are transforming the world. In these trying times, in the time of the
COVID-19 pandemic, technology and innovation are indispensable for our response to, and
recovery from, this crisis.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I believe that by participating in this webinar, we are in the right place and the right time.
Together let us accelerate the exchange of ideas and scaling-up of good practices.

I am confident that you will find new ideas, fresh energy and novel partnerships to sustain your
efforts and to recover from COVID-19, through science, technology and innovation.

I wish you all a very successful webinar.

Thank you.