Egypt government and Danish tech firms explore ways of digital cooperation
The Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has met with a group of Danish digital technology companies, via videoconference. They discussed areas for cooperation, establishing partnerships between the two countries in digital technologies, and growing the IT market in Egypt and Denmark.
The meeting was organized by the Trade Council, a part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark, in the presence of the Danish Ambassador to Egypt Svend Olling, and the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) CEO Amr Mahfouz.
During the meeting, the ICT Minister presented the pillars and implementation phases of Digital Egypt strategy. He stated that the number of digital government services will reach 200 by the end of this year, with the entire digitization process to be completed by 2022. He called on the Danish companies to share their experiences and cooperate with Egypt in digital transformation.
Talaat showcased the Egyptian capacity-building efforts, highlighting the opportunities of cooperation that can be achieved with Danish academic institutions in digital specializations. He referred to the establishment of Egypt University of Informatics (EUI) and the technology disciplines it will offer to students.
The ICT Minister stressed Egypt’s keenness to build a robust data-driven industry, where modern technologies can be indigenized. He touched upon the efforts exerted in this area through providing specialized technical training to build people’s capacity in technology, in areas including Artificial Intelligence (AI), data science and Internet of Things (IoT). This is in addition to enacting the Personal Data Protection Law to support data industry in Egypt, which is supported by a strong infrastructure and the fiber optic cables passing through Egyptian soil and waters.
Talaat underlined that Egypt is eager to create an enabling environment for investment, adding that the ICT sector is one of the most promising sectors in light of the State efforts to build a strong digital economy. The sector is continuously growing; it managed to achieve high performance rates on the economic front, during the last fiscal year, compared to 2017/18.
The sector’s growth rate increased from 14.1% to 15.2%, and is expected to reach 16% in the current fiscal year. In addition, the sector's domestic product value increased from EGP 80.1 billion to EGP 107.7 billion, with its contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increasing from 3.2% to 4.4%. The value of digital exports, however, grew from $3.2 billion to $4.1 billion, stated the ICT Minister.
Talaat commended the Danish companies diversity and excellence in different technical fields, providing opportunities of promising cooperation and partnership.
For his part, Olling pointed out Denmark’s experience in digital transformation, and appeal in data industry in Europe. He said that the Egyptian ICT sector is increasingly growing, serving all the State sectors and attracting investments, which supports the potential opportunities of cooperation between the two countries in boosting businesses and applying modern technologies.
ITIDA CEO presented the investment opportunities available in ICT, adding that the technology services export industry grew 12% this year. He referred to the programs and initiatives provided by ITIDA to boost the industry and develop human resources and the required skills, and mentioned the investment stimuli in the Egyptian ICT sector.
During the meeting, the Danish companies expressed their interest to work with their counterparts in Egypt, operate in the Egyptian market and serve the different activities of digital transformation.
It is worth mentioning that the ICT Minister met with the Danish Ambassador in January; they agreed on enhancing cooperation through organizing a virtual meeting between the ICT Minister and representatives of Danish companies to discuss the opportunities of collaboration in ICT-related fields.
The meeting was joined by companies specializing in advanced technologies, including digital platform development, communication system security, outsourcing, digital transformation, telemedicine, video surveillance technological solutions, and efficient and sustainable waste management solutions.
