Following the successes in the MENA region, the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence Challenge is spreading across Africa. A means of responding to the challenges, which have been accentuated this year, posed by the rapid development of new technologies.
The grouping of technology players IEEM TEMS proposes to extend its “Arab IoT Challenge” to the whole of Africa, previously intended for the MENA region. The “IoT & Ai Challenge” is a capacity building and preincubation program; it is aimed at high school students, students and start-ups who have innovative ideas in the fields of Internet of Things (IoT in French) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and in related fields.
This “challenge” is not just a competition. It presents itself as a digital transformation movement. Its promoters aim to build qualified environments in technical fields. This is why the program offers training and workshops to participants and provides them with all the necessary support.
After the training, participants will compete in the local finals, then the winners from each country will qualify for the regional finals which will take place during the activities of the IEEE Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (GCAIoT ) in Dubai, in December of each year.
Andy Chen, President of IEEE TEMS, explains his organization’s approach: “We focus on people and our collective slogan is ‘leaders promote products / services for the good’.”
Along with technology, Africa needs exceptional talent for innovation and entrepreneurship to create products and services with social impact. The IoT & IA Challenge is designed to encourage young talent to take on challenges that can “make an impact on humanity”, to use the IEEE slogan. “We also provide young people with all the necessary knowledge and insight into the tech industry through our IoT & AI knowledge hub.”
A rapidly growing market!
The Arab Challenge was launched by IEEE TEMS in partnership with many regional and local actors throughout the MENA region. Such as the Academy of Scientific Research in Egypt and Oman, the IEEE chapters in Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, the telecommunications ministries in Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Oman, etc. Innovative and technological support companies had joined this initiative, such as Ideaspace, Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Intel, Amazon, Here.
The AI, cybersecurity and big data analytics market in the Middle East and Africa was valued at $11.78 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $28.36 billion by 2025, according to a recent reportLinker study.
The adoption of advanced technologies has seen increasing growth in the Middle East and African countries. In recent times, rapid digitization in countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia has triggered a high number of connected devices in the region.
Companies are increasingly deploying AI to save money, increase productivity and improve their security standards. Several government initiatives are changing the dynamics of the sector and helping to reshape the landscape in key economies. Gradually, states are creating “a more solid institutional structure and effective regulatory frameworks to promote private sector investment,” the study notes.
Now, AI programs are delivered with direct support from governments, but companies in the region would have their own AI departments in the short term.
The Africa IoT & AI Challenge was launched on December 22 in a virtual ceremony, at the closing of the IEEE 2020 World Conference, which was attended by Egyptian technology companies and Benya.
Engineer Ahmed El Beheiry, founder of Wakandai Ventures explains that his company “is committed to bringing IoT & AI solutions and applications to African communities”. For its part, Benya Venture is the dedicated investment fund, technology incubator and start-up accelerator of the Benya group. Which notably announced, in September 2020, the upcoming construction of a 16,000 km fiber optic network in DR Congo.
Its CEO, engineer Ahmed Mekky, says he is “proud to be the sponsor of the Africa IoT & IA Challenge. Benya is committed to enabling the digital transformation of African nations and digitally uniting Africa and the Middle East.”
In the face of the new reality of the Covid-19 pandemic, organizations around the world must proactively respond to cyberthreats that peaked during the pandemic.
For this reason, cyber resilience, which refers to the ability of an industry or organization to prepare for, respond to and recover from cyber attacks, has become an absolute necessity rather than just an option in the business. current scenario, observes Report Linker.
