By ; Basel Khaled

The 3rd edition of Techne Summit Cairo, the Mediterranean's premier investment and startup event, has kiced off in a historic atmosphere at the Creativa Innovation Hub, located in the Palace of Sultan Hussein Kamel. The event began with opening remarks from H.E. Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H.E. Ambassador Håkan Emsgård, the Swedish Ambassador to Cairo, and Mr. Tarek El-Kady, Co-founder and CEO of Techne Summit. The first day of the summit witnessed the attendance of several prominent figures, officials, experts, and entrepreneurs, especially youth.

During his opening speech, H.E. Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, affirmed that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has established Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs “Creativa” to create a supportive environment for entrepreneurship and startups. So far, 20 hubs have been created, with a plan to establish one in each governorate. He explained the efforts made to support entrepreneurs by working on several fronts, including providing intensive capacity-building initiatives across various technological specializations to equip startups with the necessary digital skills, offering training programs for entrepreneurs, incubating their innovative projects at Creativa centers, and facilitating the procedures for establishing startups and beyond.

Dr. Talaat added that the second phase of the Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs focuses on specialized centers, starting with two in the Knowledge City in the New Administrative Capital, one specializing in electronic design and the other in assistive technologies. Plans are also underway to launch a specialized incubator in Cairo for AI to provide a nurturing environment for startups and small companies working in this field.

Dr. Talaat praised the efforts made to organize this summit and host this distinguished gathering of Egypt's entrepreneurial community, contributing to the growth and flourishing of the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in the ICT sector.

H.E. Ambassador Håkan Emsgård, the Swedish Ambassador to Cairo, expressed his delight at participating in the 3rd edition of Techne Cairo Summit 2024, following a decade of successful attendance in Alexandria, saying, “This summit stands as a beacon of innovation and collaboration across the Mediterranean region. Sweden has long been at the forefront of technological advancement and sustainable development, and we are excited to share our expertise and strengthen our partnerships with Egypt and the wider region. We now see an expansion of collaboration between Egypt and Sweden in the field of AI through some of our large Swedish companies, such as Ericsson and Astra Zeneca.” He added, “Techne summit exemplifies the spirit of cooperation and the potential opportunities that emerge when diverse minds come together to address global challenges, especially in light of what’s happening very closely to the Egyptian borders. I look forward to more success for Techne, even beyond Alexandria and Cairo, and to continued collaboration and innovation that benefits our societies and economies.”

On the sidelines of the 3rd edition of Techne Summit Cairo, Eng. Ahmed El Zaher, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Authority (ITIDA), and Tarek EL-Kady, Co-founder and CEO of Techne Summit, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming to foster entrepreneurship utilizing artificial intelligence technology across various sectors. Reiterating both sides’ commitment to supporting the entrepreneurship community, the MoU utilizes AI through the Corporate Innovation Program, which serves as a bridge connecting AI startups with established companies. It encompasses a range of activities which includes awareness campaigns and capacity building programs for early-stage entrepreneurs and startups, along with training courses conducted by global partners to enhance AI capabilities of startups. Moreover, the MoU entails activities tailored to nurture emerging companies during their growth stages, through corporate innovation program in collaboration with international firms spanning diverse sectors. Participation in Techne Summit in both Alexandria and Cairo, networking opportunities with local and global investors, and offering mentorship networks specializing in artificial intelligence across Africa, are among the benefits granted as part of the MoU.

Commenting on the signing, Eng. Ahmed El Zaher, CEO of Egypt's Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) stated, "Our participation in this year's summit underscores ITIDA’s strategic and leading role in supporting innovation and enhancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt. We believe in the importance of nurturing startups and supporting their participation in tech events that bring together entrepreneurs, offering them a unique platform to network with investors and opportunities to exchange ideas and experiences. This contributes to building a strong and innovative entrepreneurial community capable of creating unconventional solutions using information and communication technology, thus addressing economic and social challenges." He added, "We are thrilled to sign a cooperation agreement with Techne to foster innovation in emerging technologies, particularly AI, and to align creative solutions in these areas with the needs of major companies

For his part, Tarek El-Kady, Co-founder and CEO of Techne Summit, commented: "Today marks the launch of the 3rd edition of Techne Summit Cairo, following the resounding success of the previous two editions in promoting entrepreneurship across diverse sectors. We are thrilled about our collaboration with ITIDA, viewing it as a pivotal opportunity to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship in artificial intelligence across Egypt and Africa through our Corporate Innovation Program. Our support extends beyond innovation to building a tech-driven future, underscoring our dedication to employing artificial intelligence for economic transformation and empowerment of entrepreneurs."

This edition of Techne Summit Cairo is held under the auspices and in collaboration with the Ministries of Communications & Information Technology and Youth & Sports. The list of sponsors include the Information Technology Industry Development Authority (ITIDA), the Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), the General Division for Digital Economy and Technology (DETGD), and the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC). The summit is supported by its strategic partner, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA); the telecommunications partner, Telecom Egypt “WE”; the platinum partner Trianglz; the gold partners EdVentures, Novartis Egypt, Roche, and CardoO; the silver partner is Sanad and it is organized by Markade Agency.

Techne Summit stands out as a unique event that connects startups, investors, and major players in the technology industry. It plays a vital role in supporting ambitious entrepreneurs and fostering innovation and economic growth. The summit provides a platform for showcasing the latest innovations, facilitating the exchange of ideas among participants, and exploring emerging trends across various sectors. This year’s summit hosts over 300 speakers, 180 investors representing over 70 countries, and over 500 startups, attracting a crowd of over 25,000 attendees. The event features ten tracks covering CreativeTech, Disrupt Tech, eCommerce, EdTech, FinTech, HealthTech, Investment, Marketing & Advertising, and Startup Business Academy, along with 50 workshops led by specialists and experts.