The Information Technology Academia Collaboration (ITAC) Round 17 opens on March 1, 2015. It is one of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) programs designed to bring value to Egyptian ICT industry by fostering collaboration between industry and academia.

The program aims at developing R&D based innovative products and services that put Egyptian ICT companies in a leading position in the ICT market, both locally and internationally.

Starting 2015, ITAC will have three rounds instead of  two Collaborative Funded Projects (CFPs). The submission window of the rounds will be opened in March, July and November.

ITAC funds three categories of Collaborative Funded Projects (CFPs): Product Development Projects (PDP), Advanced Research Projects (ARP) and Preliminary Research Projects (PRP).

ITAC received more than 40 proposals in Round 16 and the evaluation phase is concluded. ITAC announced the list of winning graduation projects of the first window (November 2014). The second window for the academic year 2014- 2015 opened on January 1, 2015 and closed on January 31, 2015.

ITIDA has honored the team of “Wasel”, an ITAC funded graduation project which won the first place in the “Made in Egypt” competition and is currently incubated in  the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC).

WASEL provides high quality connection everywhere, even to areas with no or bad infrastructure. WASEL is a Solar Cell Helium Balloon working with Free Space Optics technology for short distances and WiMAX technology for long distances.