Oxford Business Group launches Covid-19 Recovery Roadmap on country’s ICT industry

By : Ahmed Helmy

A new Covid-19 Recovery Roadmap produced by Oxford Business Group (OBG) maps out Egypt’s plans to use the country’s robust ICT sector as a springboard for its broader digital transformation drive.

The report provides in-depth analysis of Egypt’s response to the pandemic and vision for longer-term, sustainable growth in an easy-to-navigate and accessible format, focusing on key data and infographics relating to the socio-economic landscape.

It shines a spotlight on the country’s Digital Egypt plan, which is spearheading national efforts to encourage innovation and create a more digital society, with upskilling, job creation, infrastructure upgrades and the adoption of e-government services all high on the agenda.

The roadmap charts the ICT industry’s strong performance during 2020, when digital solutions proved key in meeting a surge in pandemic-induced demand for telecoms services as business and social interactions moved online.

Subscribers will also find detailed coverage of Egypt’s bid to develop specialised ICT segments that are seen as ripe for growth, thanks to the country’s competitive advantages, including offshore services such as IT outsourcing and business process outsourcing.

Egypt’s plans to prioritise digital inclusion by establishing several new technology parks outside of the capital are another focus. Here, OBG considers the key role that these facilities will play in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship by providing training facilities, hardware design labs, incubators and shared workspace.

OBG also highlights the investment opportunities emerging as Egypt looks to roll out the upgrades needed to provide new ICT products and services, led by 5G technology. In this section, it looks at the crucial part that disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things, will play in the continued expansion of Egypt’s ICT sector.

The report includes several case studies showing how key entities and businesses adapted to maintain operational continuity during the pandemic and the part they played in supporting the national economy throughout the crisis, while giving details of their plans for the future.

It also features an in-depth interview with Amr Talaat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, in which he shares his views on a range of topical issues, including the country’s plans to harness intelligent technologies to boost economic competitiveness.

“Egypt is spearheading initiatives to leverage the application of advanced digital technologies to better serve citizens, increase productivity and support the economy,” he told OBG. “We aim to deploy technologies such as artificial intelligence, data science and the internet of things to address pressing challenges in fields like urban planning, health care and medicine, agriculture and irrigation, water management, education and resource optimisation.”

Karine Loehman, OBG’s Managing Director for Africa, said earlier moves to prioritise ICT development had not only proved beneficial for Egypt when the pandemic arrived, but would also provide the country with firm foundations as it makes the transition to a knowledge-led economy.

“Heightened demand in Egypt for ICT services at the beginning of the health crisis highlighted the need to further expand both infrastructure and capacity,” Loehman said. “The national economy had already expanded steadily in recent years following extensive reforms, with GDP up by 5.6% in 2019, according to the IMF. We now expect several established trends, such as remote work, digital payments and e-commerce, to continue in the years ahead, providing attractive opportunities for investors who are keen to participate in the next chapter of Egypt’s growth story.”

The roadmap on Egypt’s ICT industry forms part of a series of tailored reports that OBG is currently producing with its partners, alongside other highly relevant, go-to research tools, including a range of country-specific Growth and Recovery Outlook articles and interviews.