The Minister of Communications and Information Amr Talaat has met with officials and representatives of member companies of the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications (ITL), chaired by CEO Doris Põld. The meeting aimed at exploring the digital solutions that the companies offer to serve and develop various fields, in addition to discussing investment opportunities in the Egyptian ICT sector.
ITL is a voluntary organization whose primary objective is to unite the Estonian information technology and telecommunications companies and organizations to promote their cooperation in Estonia’s development towards information society.
During the meeting, ITL member companies reviewed the top technological solutions supporting a successful digital transformation, the benefits of e-justice, the use of digital identity in rendering public services through smartphones, smart city planning, and employing technology to develop tax management. They also presented SmartCap, which provides cornerstone investments for private fund managers to create a vital venture capital market in Estonia and enable ambitious and innovative Estonian companies to emerge and grow globally.
Talaat underlined that the Egyptian ICT sector is the highest growing state sector despite the pandemic, given the large number of projects being carried out to advance ICT and achieve digital transformation. He said that IT plays a pivotal role in running the New Administrative Capital, where the government will relocate as a participatory government.
The ICT Minister explained that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) strategy stands on several pillars, one of which is achieving digital transformation to develop government services and render digital services to citizens. Another pillar is capacity building, which involves upskilling people in different ICT sciences, starting from basic computer skills and up to a master’s degree. He added that Egypt University of Informatics (EUI) has been established as the first specialized university in ICT and related fields in the Middle East and Africa.
Talaat also highlighted that MCIT works to promote entrepreneurship, support technological innovation, and enable Egyptian youth to establish entrepreneurial projects and hone their skills in freelancing, with the country’s entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem flourishing. He added that Egypt came out on top of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in venture capital (VC) deals.
Moreover, Talaat showcased MCIT efforts to develop the telecommunications infrastructure nationwide. He revealed that a project is implemented to boost Internet connection in the Egyptian countryside as part of the Decent Life presidential initiative.
Furthermore, the meeting discussed what it takes to create an enabling environment for technological innovation, financing mechanisms, and potential cooperation in implementing programs for supporting startups.
The meeting was attended by Egypt’s Ambassador to Finland and Non-Resident Ambassador to Estonia Haitham Salah; Deputy Minister for Administrative Development, Digital Transformation and Automation Khaled El Attar; Assistant Minister for Strategy and Implementation Sherine El-Guindy; and Vice President of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency and Chairperson of the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC) Hossam Osman.
