Some of the ICT industry’s most successful business pioneers will discuss substance, relevance and innovative thinking at a leadership summit to be held during the upcoming Gitex Technology Week in Dubai.

This year’s Global Leaders Summit will take place on October 9 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and will focus on ‘innovation in leadership’.

“The Middle East continues to be one of the most exciting and dynamic regions in the world and an important and strategic market for Cisco,” said Chris Dedicoat, president EMEA of Cisco, who will speak on ‘Technology Innovation as a Driver for Sustainability & Economic Growth’.

“Smart investments in information and communication technology are helping organisations to innovate, drive new business models, increase productivity and create new jobs. As new opportunities emerge in technology-based industries, governments will need to focus on developing the ICT skills of the workforce and provide greater access to capital in order to help achieve sustainable economic growth.”

“This will be fundamental to the continued success of the region. Cisco sees significant opportunities in the Middle East and will continue to work closely with businesses and governments across the region to help them achieve their long-term goals,” he added.

Rod Beckstrom, president and CEO of International Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN), who will also be among the speakers, said: “This year in particular is shaping-up as a transformational period for the Internet. We’re about to see a dramatic change in the Domain Name System as new generic top-level domains swing open the door to innovation - a clear theme of this year’s Gitex Technology Week¹s Global Leaders Summit," he said.

Other confirmed presenters include Pranav Mistry, inventor of SixthSense, a PhD candidate at MIT Media Lab and one of the ICT industry’s most radical pioneers. He will present on the topic of ‘Invisible Computing’ and how, while the miniaturization of computing devices allows us to carry computers in our pockets, there is no link between these devices and our interactions with the physical world.

William H Saito, an advisor to governments worldwide, venture capitalist, educator and 2011 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, will be presenting ‘From Science to  Implementation:  Approaches to Technology Innovation’.

“Innovation and leadership are key issues in any business. The Global Leaders Summit will allow participants to join a high level gathering of thought pioneers and senior executives to uncover, discuss and witness innovative technologies and strategies from some of the most forward thinking minds,” said Trixee Loh, SVP of event organiser Dubai World Trade Centre.

“Guests will hear from some of the world’s most interesting and high profile leaders in technology, and be able to network with a broad range of business and technology executives, gaining knowledge advantage through proven success stories.”

As one of the three largest ICT exhibitions in the world, Gitex connects more than 136,000 industry professionals from five continents with over 3,500 suppliers, and is one of the most influential and high-profile events in the global ICT sector today.

Gitex 2011 will take place from October 9 to 13 at Dubai World Trade Centre. – TradeArabia News Service