A senior Namibian official said for the country to avoid remaining on the periphery of 4th Industrial Revolution, it must contemplate a host of policy and regulatory interventions.

Namibia's Minister of Information and Communication Technology Stanley Simataa said Monday in a speech at the opening of the country's 5th National Information Technology Summit under the theme of "Digital transformation for an ICT smart Namibia" on Monday.

"We can achieve this by accelerating digitization and improve internet connectivity. These are perfect launch pads for the 4th Industrial Revolution," he said.

The 4th Industrial Revolution is marked by emerging technology breakthroughs in a number of fields, including robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and quantum computing.

Simataa said it was therefore imperative for speakers and delegates alike to be immersed in in-depth discussions on these issues so as to determine how best digital transformation can support the country's developmental initiatives.

He added that the country must embrace big data analysis, a development that calls for improved public and private sector partnerships.

The summit which will conclude on Oct. 17, is hosting telecommunication giants like China's Huawei, Namibia's MTC, Telcom Namibia and MTN.

Meanwhile, Simataa said the summit is an ideal platform for ICT stakeholders to converge and scan the ICT landscape nationally, within the sub-region, and globally.