“We aim to foster a sense of community around technology”

“Mauritius deserves to be on par with Europe and the U.S. in terms of technological awareness and value”

Techverse 2024, an initiative by Accenture Mauritius, is the first event in Mauritius to gather the community of software professionals and industry stakeholders around the pertinent topic of Generative AI. The workshop, which spanned three days, from June 11 to June 13, at Hennessey Park, Ebene, focused on key topics such as “Demystifying GenAI”, “AI4Good”, and “Kickstart Your GenAI Journey”. In an interview with BIZWEEK, Dr. Riyad Ameerudden, Associate Director at Accenture, explained the context and objectives of bringing the tech community together over Generative AI.

First of all, can you provide the context and the inspiration behind organizing Techverse?

The concept emerged from observing the evolution of the community in Mauritius, and our role, at Accenture, as a technology company. We saw the rapid advancements in technology and wanted to create awareness and spark curiosity among people about its importance. We aim to foster a sense of community around technology. There are many conferences and summits about IT, but this one is more closely related to our industry. As a global technology consulting company, we have the skills, client portfolio, and technological ecosystem to leverage within Mauritius. We wanted to bring people together to share, inspire, and collaborate.

We noticed that even your competitors were invited to the summit. What should we understand from this strategy?

I wouldn’t call it a strategy per se. In the Mauritius landscape, some companies may see themselves as competitors. However, the individuals within these companies—developers, testers, and functional experts—deliver valuable work. We aim to create a people-oriented platform where they can shine in the technological area, regardless of their company. This initiative, Techverse, is not about inviting competitors, but about inviting people. It’s about uniting the community and fostering connectedness, which is crucial for Mauritian society.

We aim to create a people-oriented platform where they can shine in the technological area, regardless of their company.

At what point did Accenture decide it was time to create another community in light of all the ongoing developments?

We frequently host clients at Accenture Mauritius, and during discussions, we noticed that many still see Mauritius primarily as a tourist destination, overlooking its professional side. Our professionals deliver high-value work, but there was a sense of losing recognition within our own field. We decided it was time to reclaim that value and foster a sense of belonging in our work. The buzz around generative AI made it the perfect focal point. Mauritius deserves to be on par with Europe and the U.S. in terms of technological awareness and value. Achieving this requires close collaboration among the people, not just competition.

What are your expectations after these three days?

First, I hope to re-establish that sense of community. Secondly, I want people to recognize that Mauritius is capable of delivering high-value activities. Lastly, I hope to inspire the new generation and students to take an interest in technology. In Mauritius, many are just users of technology, but we should also be among those who conceive it.