Eden recently hosted a webinar series centred around BI in policymaking for the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) which took place throughout August and September 2021. Besides delving into the core principles of BI, Eden presented insightful and practical case studies from Asia and globally about the application of BI to key topics on the policy agenda such sustainability, consumer behaviour, agriculture, and smart cities. The audience for each webinar was a good mix of policymakers, corporates, individuals, and academics; they were highly engaged and participatory, leading to a fruitful discussion on the application of BI in Malaysia. Each of the five webinar recordings are accessible via the links in this post:

1. How BI can help us make better choices

Behavioural Insights draws on Psychology, Sociology, and Behavioural Economics to generate insights into human behaviour in order to drive positive behavioural change through systematic ‘nudges’. In this introduction to BI webinar, our managing partner, Calvin Chu (who learned BI directly from its founder, Richard Thaler) delves into the core principles of BI and illustrates its application to salient social issues in the Malaysian context, including obesity, mental health, and insurance coverage.

Click here to watch the webinar recording.

2. Transforming agriculture with BI

Food security is higher than ever on the agenda in Malaysia and across the globe, and we won’t get there without unlocking a full-scale digital agriculture revolution. Agri-tech products and services have flooded the market in response, offering transformative solutions from seed to plate. However, many technologies claiming to solve our biggest challenges while benefiting stakeholders across the value chain have low adoption. Why?

Adoption hinges on going beyond the technology itself and focusing on the BI that cut deeply into farm-level decision-making. BI is key to inform how best to listen and co-design with farmers, create feedback loops to constantly iterate and improve, and create flexible business models that can lower behavioural barriers to adoption. Calvin Chu and Jennifer Morton discuss how we can use BI to transform agriculture.

Click here to watch the webinar recording.

3. How BI plays a role in designing Malaysian smart cities

Smart city planning involves more than just budgeting for capital investments or experimenting with technology POCs. Cities with a comprehensive strategy can better protect and build on their natural assets such as their culture, heritage, and geography; and in so doing raise the standards of living for their citizens, increase resilience and sustainability. Calvin Chu and Callysta Thony discuss case studies of different cities which have used BI to improve city service delivery, use of public space, improve safety; and how these can be relevant for Malaysian smart cities.

Click here to watch the webinar recording.

4. Using BI to design more effective environmental policies

The latest IPCC report provides a stark warning to us about a pending climate catastrophe. Policymakers have a key opportunity to act and enact environmental policies that will preserve the quality of human life and the environment; a key driver of successful environmental policy adoption is behavioural change. Calvin Chu and Claire Lim discuss how we can harness behavioural insights in designing more effective environmental policies with reference to environmental issues e.g. building energy consumption, household waste segregation, littering, and green construction adoption.

Click here to watch the webinar recording.

5. Using BI to accelerate sustainable consumer behaviour

From slowing climate change to reducing plastic waste, behavioural change in consumers is crucial for us to reach our environmental sustainability goals. As consumers start to demand more sustainable products and consume more mindfully, companies and policymakers will have to take notice and make meaningful changes to their policies, products, and practices. Calvin Chu and Evangelous Kourtidis explore how we can accelerate sustainable consumer behaviour with BI, with reference to issues such as water usage, impulse shopping, and transportation.

Click here to watch the webinar recording.