![[Egypt] Vodafone Intelligent Solutions launches Digital Society Hackathon targeting professionals in data coding](Images/Key Logos/Vodafone.jpg)
[Egypt] Vodafone Intelligent Solutions launches Digital Society Hackathon targeting professionals in data coding
The CEO of Egypt Information Technology Industry Development Agency; ITIDA, Eng. Amr Mahfouz has witnessed the launch of “Digital Society Hackathon 2021”, a virtual event organized by Vodafone Intelligent Solutions’ (VOIS) targeting undergraduates and professionals in data mining and coding.
With its theme of “A Code to Move the World”, the hackathon aims to provide an opportunity for talented young people to develop their skills, share ideas and get inspired by a team of exceptional experts, mentors and speakers. The Hackathon will award the top 10 winning teams cash prizes with a total of EGP 250k.
The hackathon is sponsored by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), the Information Technology Institute (ITI), and the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI).
“I’m thrilled to witness this gathering of young innovators in the field of disruptive technologies with such high entrepreneurship and competition spirit, especially in such stressful times of the global pandemic with the aim of offering solutions”, Mahfouz said during his speech that he delivered on behalf the Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Eng. Amr Talaat.
Mahfouz stated that ITIDA has started formulating a new strategy with a global consultancy firm to leverage the startup sector in Egypt and to establish an integrated system for tech innovation, with the aim of cultivating the entrepreneurial ecosystem and helping attract more venture capital funds.
Mahfouz said that the VOIS experience in Egypt reflects the confidence and trust international companies place in the skills of Egyptian youth and the abundance of highly professional talent in various fields of the IT services. Mahfouz noted that the collaboration between VOIS and ITIDA is a true success story since the establishment of the company in Egypt 15 years ago.
Additionally, Mahfouz pointed out that ITIDA is extending unprecedented support in the areas of human capacity building and developing digital skills by offering training programs in high technology and IT tracks, in addition to providing scientific degrees in partnerships with prestigious universities and global tech players.
An example of which is “Next Technology Leaders” and “Egypt FWD”, the latter an initiative, which aims to train around 100k students in highly in-demand IT fields, such as web development, data analytics and digital marketing, which contributes to the creation of non-traditional job opportunities for the youth.
Mahfouz pointed to the key role played by young innovators, entrepreneurs and startups, as they represent one of the main drivers of the economy by creating more job opportunities and offering innovative solutions, in addition to their ability to attract local and foreign investments, amid the boom of entrepreneurship in Egypt.
Mahfouz highlighted the Ministry’s keenness to spread Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs, known as “Creativa”, across various governorates to develop the digital skills of youth and help stimulate their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit to create their own projects in the ICT sector.
He furtherly pointed out that the first phase of Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs was implemented in 5 governorates with investments estimated at EGP300m, and the same amount of investments was allocated for the implementation of the second phase of the project.
He added that the ministry has already started providing a number of activities and guidance in the centers to assist students, fresh graduates, and entrepreneurs in the ICT fields and provide solutions to the challenges they encounter, aiming to increase the chances of transforming their ideas into successful businesses and startups.
It is worth mentioning, that the entrepreneurship startup ecosystem in Egypt experiencing rapid and noticeable growth, which has been highlighted by many international reports. For instance, Egypt has recorded the largest number of investment deals in technology startups amounting to 24% of the total number of transactions in Africa in 2020.
