The Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation participates in two sessions at the Cairo ICT Exhibition

The Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, affiliated with the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD), participated, represented by Dr. Heba Medhat Zaki, Director of the Center, at the Cairo ICT exhibition held at the exhibition grounds during the period from 19 to 22 November.

During the activities, Dr. Heba Zaki chaired and moderated two discussion sessions, the first entitled “Entrepreneurship in Egypt: Towards a more cohesive business ecosystem.” The session addressed the challenges facing the ecosystem in Egypt and made it a less cohesive system, which poses many obstacles to entrepreneurs and startup companies.

Dr. Heba Medhat Zaki pointed out that according to the latest census, there were more than 400 actors in the ecosystem in Egypt, including government institutions that support the entrepreneurship file, business incubators, and accelerators in universities or privately, and entrepreneurship centers.

During the session, it was pointed out that Egypt has great potential that can be identified and worked on, especially since Egypt can create a competitive advantage in specific sectors such as complex digital industries and high-tech technology. 

The attendees also stressed the importance of working to spread awareness among young people about the nature of the role played by each actor in the environmental system so that young people can determine the appropriate movement compass for them.

Dr. Heba Medhat Zaki said that the Entrepreneurship Coordinating Committee, established by the Prime Minister's decision in May 2023, fulfills this role.

The session's recommendations included the importance of networking and coordination among the various actors in the ecosystem, and working more to remove various obstacles and create a more attractive and encouraging environment for entrepreneurs.

  The importance of networking between universities, research centers, and business and industry incubators and accelerators on the one hand, and the government on the other, was emphasized to create integration between the directions of the Egyptian state in light of the 2030 strategy and the structural reform program.

  The role of young entrepreneurs was also pointed out in terms of readiness to receive investments and deal with investors.

The second session, which was chaired and moderated by Dr. Heba Zaki on behalf of Dr. Sherifa Sharif, Executive Director of NIGSD reviewed the most important initiatives taking place under the institute’s umbrella in light of digital transformation.

The session discussed many of the innovative initiatives offered by NIGSD, including the [Be an Ambassador] and Governance Ambassadors initiatives.

During the session, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Azim, Director of Spatial Information Infrastructure Projects at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, referred to the projects that are taking place and enhancing the Egyptian government’s approach to digitization, such as the births and deaths system project, which is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

The Cairo ICT Exhibition is the largest technology event held annually in Cairo. It is a platform for displaying and discussing the latest developments in the field of information and communications technology.

The exhibition usually includes the participation of technical companies and research institutions, as they demonstrate the latest innovations and technologies in this field, in addition to some conferences, workshops, and seminars.