Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Philips Electronics Middle East hosted a panel discussion today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to announce its latest study, the Meaningful Innovation Index . Philips Meaningful Innovation Index is a 5000-person, multi-country survey looking at people’s needs, attitudes and expectations of innovation. Based on responses from five key markets[1], the survey shows that even with the recent advances in technology, there is huge appetite for innovations that will make a real difference in people’s everyday lives.
The panel discussion was moderated by Faisal Al Saif while the panelists included; Innovation Center Manager of the King Abdulaziz & his Companions Foundation for Giftedness & Creativity (Mawhiba) Mr. Abdullah Khan, CEO of Philips Middle East and Turkey Mr. Roy Jakobs, social media personality and Telfaz and C3 Films marketing manager Mr. Abdulaziz Al Shahlan and Technology Commercialization and Funding Unit Manager at the BADIR program for Technology Incubators, Mr. Mohammed Al-Houzimi
Philips Meaningful Innovation Index compared satisfaction with current innovations with what is truly important in people’s lives and found that only 54% of Saudis are satisfied with existing innovations in the areas they considered to be the most important to their lives. People’s preferences across age groups and various lifestages[2] consistently point toward an ‘innovation gap’, indicating that there is room for innovation in ten key areas of life: protecting the environment, saving money, stress relief, living independently as one ages, education, preventative health (preventing disease and illness), medical treatment, medical diagnosis, workplace efficiency and saving time.
Roy Jakobs, CEO of Philips Middle East and Turkey stated that “Philips is already introducing innovative solutions in healthcare, lighting and consumer lifestyle as a means to address some of the local dissatisfaction found in this study. For example, our Philips AirFryer, which allows you to cook healthier foods without the need for oil was so well received in Saudi Arabia that it has become one of the most important markets in the world for the product.”
“Philips recognizes Saudi Arabia as a quick adopter of innovative solutions, in comparison not only to the Middle East, but also across the world. In our Healthcare business we see leading Philips innovations such as our Ambient Experience, a complete hospital design solution providing a real benefit to clinicians, patients and their families across the Kingdom. And in Lighting there is tremendous adoption of energy efficient LEDs happening by businesses, municipalities and consumers,” concluded Mr. Jakobs.
Showcased at the event were fifteen of Philips’s most innovative products for healthcare, consumer lifestyle and lighting, some being shown in the Kingdom for the first time, including:
Philips Hue: Forbes 2012 Best Product of the Year
Philips Hue is the world’s smartest web-enabled LED home lighting system, which allows you to create and control your home lighting directly from your iOS and Android device. You can use hue however you want: create light settings based on your favorite photos, choose lighting to help you relax, concentrate, read or energize; or even set up timers to help you wake up in the morning or pace your day
Breakthrough innovation: Philips Sonicare AirFloss
The new Philips Sonicare AirFloss is the latest version of the breakthrough innovation that makes cleaning between teeth easy. It uses proprietary micro-burst technology to dispense rapid bursts of air and water droplets to thoroughly fill the interdental area between teeth and force plaque and bacteria out. Removing up to five times more plaque than brushing alone, the AirFloss helps people who don’t floss to improve compliance and oral health.
The HeartStart FRx Automated External Defibrilator
Sudden cardiac arrest leaves the heart unable to beat regularly, and it is only by resetting the heart’s rhythm with an electric current, delivered by a defibrillator, that a normal heart rhythm can be regained. The HeartStart Automated External Defibrillators (AED) are simple to use defibrillator featuring clear audio instructions for both guided use and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) coaching in addition to intuitive icon-driven operation for ease of use.
Philips in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Philips has long sought to foster opportunities for innovation in the Kingdom, beginning with a 1935 visit to Philips Headquarters by then Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz, eventual King of Saudi Arabia.
Since then, Philips has expanded its market size in the Kingdom through its introduction of innovative products and services. This includes signing an agreement during September of 2012 announcing a joint venture with Al Faisaliah Medical Systems to sell Philips’ Healthcare solutions and services in the Kingdom while also facilitating a focus on developing the next generation of skilled Saudi healthcare professionals through dedicated education and training programs.
The Meaningful Innovation Index report and interactive data visualization are available on the Philips Center for Health and Well-being website, http://www.philips-thecenter.org/.
[1] The Philips Innovation Index, a nationally representative survey, was carried out in 5 countries: China, The Netherlands, U.S.A., the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Russia, surveying approximately 1,000 respondents per market.
[2] Lifestage of people surveyed across the markets examined the types of life events they have experienced, their age, their family and their economic situations, and their experience with technology. Accordingly, eight groups of people were identified across the five markets, with each group representing a different lifestage segment: Traditional Families, Young Up-and-Coming Techies, Techie Family-Oriented Seniors, Steady Empty Nesters, Affluent Techie Families, Struggling Mature Tech-Intermediates, Middle-Aged Non-Traditional Families, and Starting Out Non-Techies.