Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has been considered as a key development pillar in Egypt since the 1980’s. This has led to keen and concerted efforts by the Egyptian Government to develop the ICT industry as well as usage of ICT services across different sectors of the economy. As a result, in the nineties, a dedicated Ministry for Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) was established and by the third millennium, a master plan that integrated ICT as a core component for growth was developed.
In this regard, the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC) was inaugurated in Smart Village on 27th September 2010. The basic obligation of TIEC is to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Egypt’s ICT sector. To fulfill the above, the center strives to contribute heavily to the national economy and is aimed at driving innovation and entrepreneurship in the local industry in order to ensure ICT benefits to both people and businesses.
The technology management (TM) department manages technology labs in mobile, cloud and electronics, and provides a platform for technological innovation connecting nodes via a national ecosystem. As TIEC’s technical arm, TM defines key elements and provides role models of innovation. The department introduces eminent approaches and best practices while defining tech priorities based on economic impacts. To fulfill its objective, the department also organizes workshops to promote these technologies and raise public awareness.
Additionally, TIEC enables the entrepreneurial ecosystem and creates conducive workplaces in Egypt through its entrepreneurship and business support department (BES). The center focuses on increasing awareness of entrepreneurship within the ICT domain. Such programs include launch pads that qualify tech start-up candidates for incubation. This is together with developing a powerful network of stakeholders to support entrepreneurs locally, regionally and internationally. For example, the BES raises consciousness regarding the importance of IP rights and commercialization techniques.
Equally important, TIEC also offers a fully-fledged incubation package to ICT startups through its Incubation department. The process involves expert assessment of submitted applications every quarter upon which a pitching invitation is sent to preliminary accepted teams. Thereafter, qualified teams are incubated at one of TIEC’s incubation centers for a year. As such, the Innovation Support department of TIEC focuses on building an entrepreneurial culture that reflects the values brought by the entrepreneurs into communities.
Indeed, innovation and entrepreneurship are central tenets of energetic and competing economies. Nations with dynamic innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems have a propensity to witness greater rates of productivity. Thus, economic growth increases with more robust job creation, the main pathways through which people can secure better living standards. Consequently, it is with realization that TIEC seeks to unleash creative solutions and innovative ideas that impact the Egyptian community.
To learn more about the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), visit www.tiec.gov.eg
