- Establishing an Egyptian- Cypriot -Greek center for capacity building and entrepreneurship in Borg El Arab Technology Park
- Cypriot and Greek ICT Ministers visit Smart Village
Prime Minister Sherif Ismail witnessed, today, at the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) premises, the ceremony of signing a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the governments of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece on fostering cooperation between the three countries in ICT fields, and supporting research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The MoU was signed by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Yasser ElKady, the Cypriot Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Marios Demetriades, and the Greek Minister of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Information Nikos Pappas.
The agreement is an outcome of the fourth trilateral summit meeting held in October 2016 between President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. The three leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation and partnership in several areas, taking advantage of the free trade agreements that each of the three countries agreed upon to access new markets.
The three-year MoU covers a number of other areas of cooperation, including e-skills training and capacity building. The Governments of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece have agreed to establish a specialized center for capacity building and entrepreneurship that will be headquartered in Borg El Arab in Egypt, while its branches will be established in Cyprus and Greece. The center aims to train professionals from the three countries on internationally recognized e-skills, and increase opportunities for developing digital skills for their respective workforce through training programs, exchange of experiences and support for SMEs.
In the same context, the Cypriot and Greek ICT Ministers and their accompanying delegation toured Smart Village, and paid a visit to the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) headquarters where they were received by ITIDA CEO Asmaa Hosny, and a number of ITIDA officials, to discuss opportunities for cooperation in IT related fields, and strengthen cooperation in the field of electronics designing and manufacturing.
During the meeting attended by the ambassadors of Cyprus and Greece, Egypt showcased the leading Egyptian experience in the ICT field via presenting the most competitive advantages of the sector, positive indicators and international accolades of Egypt's achievements during the previous period in this field.
The delegation also visited the headquarters of Smart Villages Company to learn about the company's experience and the various stages of the smart village. It also paid a visit to the headquarters of the Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT). At the end of their tour to the Smart Village, the two ministers visited the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC)— affiliated to ITIDA— to learn about TIEC activities and experiences in supporting innovators and incubating startups, and ITIDA plan to disseminate specialized innovation clusters and electronics research centers nationwide.
