BATU KAWAN, Jan 8 — Penang recognises young entrepreneurs and frontliners as critical components of the economy as they supplement the government’s contribution to the provision of goods and services to the people, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

He said youngsters in Penang have the ability to strive for business excellence in the fourth industrial revolution (IR4.0), which would see a convergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and many others.

“Entrepreneurs who think outside the box can also contribute significantly to the country’s development of technology and solutions that will have a positive and long-term impact, especially in the post-pandemic world.

“Ultimately, it presents a huge opportunity for these technologies to thrive in the state and drive the economy forward,” he told reporters after the Young Excellence Award (YEA) 2021 ceremony here today.

The award, organised by the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur Section (PCCC YES) in collaboration with the state government, recognised 68 young entrepreneurs and frontliners aged 18 to 40 years old.

Chow said there were 15 award categories, namely Business Performance Award, Pandemic Business Growth Award, Technology Entrepreneur Award, Green Initiative Award, Brand Award, Social Media and Influencer Award, Woman Entrepreneur Award, Rookie Million Achievement Award, E-commerce Award, E-sports Award, Pandemic Volunteer Award, Pandemic Leadership Award, Pandemic Professional Award, University Leadership Award and University Athlete Award.

He said the YEA award also demonstrated that Penang youths are concerned and enthusiastic about sustainable solutions and volunteerism, which would help in nurturing future Penang leaders as they also require critical yet analytical thinking skills to help them adapt to this rapidly changing world.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency