Science and Technology Innovation for a Sustainable Economy Mazharul M

Science and Technology Innovation for a Sustainable Economy Mazharul M. Islam • M. Moazzem Hossain Editors Science and Technology Innovation for a Sustainable Economy Editors Mazharul M. Islam M. Moazzem Hossain Department of Chemistry Griffith Business School (GBS) University of Bath Griffith University Bath, UK Nathan, Australia ISBN 978-3-030-47165-1 ISBN 978-3-030-47166-8 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47166-8 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. 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The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (On the occasion of his 100th birthday) Foreword The 100th birthday of the Founding Father of Independent Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman falls on 17 March 2020. The Government of Bangladesh has declared the year starting on 17 March 2020 as the “Mujib Year.” The whole year will be devoted to honoring the Great Leader in all possible ways. The Government has set up two committees—a national committee and an implementation committee. The former is chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself. Programs are being chalked out for implementation at central and ministry levels and by other organizations at national, sub-national and local government levels. All components of governance, for example, policy making, executive, and judiciary will join in the celebrations with relevant programs. Bangladesh’s foreign missions, civil society, and citizens will participate too. In other words, the whole nation will be engaged in a full year of celebrating the life and work of the Father of the Nation. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 40th General Assembly held at the headquarters in Paris on 25 November 2019 has unanimously decided to celebrate the Mujib Year together with Bangladesh. President of the UNESCO General Assembly Altay Cengizer and its Director General Audrey Azoulay were present at the assembly. We, as a professional group, came together to do a bit of our own to add to these national and international programs. We are publishing three volumes of research- based works as follows: Climate Adaptation for a Sustainable Economy: Lessons from Bangladesh, an Emerging Tiger of Asia; Science and Technology Innovation: Towards a Sustainable Economy; and Pathways to Sustainable Economy, Bangladesh’s Vision 2021 and the Reality during 2020. These volumes are dedi- cated to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. These are being published by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. New York; Springer Nature, Switzerland; and an alternative publisher, respectively. The present volume contains 11 chapters written by distinguished authors in their respective fields, altogether covering a range of key science and technology innovation issues in the context of economic sustainability, particularly focusing on Bangladesh. vii viii Foreword The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (adopted by the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2015) can be succinctly defined as socially acceptable, promoting environmentally sound economic growth, keeping inter-generational equity in perspective. In this volume we are dealing with science and technology innovation for sustainable economy. Obviously, the issues dealt with are crucial, in the context of economic progress, which is one of the three key pillars of sustainable development. The other two volumes are dealing with environment and climate change and socio-economic issues. The three volumes together deal with issues relating all three pillars. An attempt may be made, after all the three volumes are published, to prepare a summary volume within the framework of sustainable development, bringing together the key ideas and lessons that emerge from the analyses of the wide range of issues presented in the three volumes and adding any further analyses that may be necessary. The chapters making up this volume, which have been prepared by different authors, are concerned with scientific and technological enhancements and innovations in the context of sustainable economy, with particular reference to Bangladesh. In fact, Bangladesh has achieved sustained and accelerating economic growth with effect from 2010. The GDP growth rate was over 6% every year for several years consecutively from 2010, over 7% for the next 2 years and 8.2% in 2018–19. Currently, Bangladesh’s GDP growth rate is the highest in Asia, according to ADB. The country has, in the meantime, moved up to the status of a lower middle income country. It may also be mentioned that in respect of social development, highly significant improvements have been posted, such as in reducing poverty and infant, child, and maternal mortality rates and expansion of education and health services. In promoting gender equality, Bangladesh has done better than all other South Asian countries, although much more remains to be achieved. These high and sustained achievements of Bangladesh are recognized internationally. Now is, how- ever, the time to consolidate the achievements and accelerate the forward march. The ideas and suggestions put forward in the chapters of this volume deserve attention in the relevant contexts while developing or modifying policy planning and action programs for sustainable economic prepress. The issues dealt with are surely very pertinent for Bangladesh, as it is essential to adopt new technological ideas and innovations in order to raise productivity and diversify the production and service agendas. One key problem in Bangladesh economy’s forward march is widespread skill deficiencies in all sectors at various skill levels. One chapter suggests the building of purposeful industry-university collaboration for addressing this issue, keeping in perspective that, in the increasingly competitive world, the aim must be to raise skills training and research and development activities to appropriately competitive levels. This would call for farsighted approach to and adequate investment in education and training, assigning due priority to science and technology. Some aspects of green energy development and energy storage systems are ana- lyzed theoretically in another chapter with a view to further improving access to energy and its use-efficiency. Another chapter finds no evidence to argue that energy consumption has a positive impact on GDP or an adverse impact on labor force, Foreword ix which has implications for energy conservation policies. This finding may not be appreciated by everyone but is worth looking at. One chapter informs that rapid wheat breeding technologies have been developed in Australia, cutting the time taken from 10 to 12 years under traditional meth- ods to 4–5 years. It is suggested that these technologies may be considered for adoption in Bangladesh for rapid development of new varieties and increasing production of wheat. One chapter revisits the challenges of rice research in Bangladesh, keeping in perspective the increasing requirement of rice in the country in the coming years and decades. It suggests several ways of increasing rice production, including genetic modification; mechanization and new varieties suited to changing weather conditions, rainfall patterns and intensity and level of salinity ingress; and proper use of land types. Hunger has now been minimized in Bangladesh, but nutrition security for a significant segment of population remains a challenge. One chapter explores how best this challenge can be addressed, ensuring nutritional security of all in the country by 2041. In view of high rate of un- and under-employment in Bangladesh, particularly among the youth including the educated youth, ideas about how best this challenge can be addressed are certainly welcome. The focus of one chapter is “occupational qualifications” emphasizing that qualifications and skills acquired should be such that will make the people concerned employable. The experience of the industrial- ized countries and possible ways forward for Bangladesh in this regard are discussed. One chapter discusses the vast advancement in the DNA and genome sequencing technology and consequent significant reduction in the costs of using this technol-

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