Sisi inaugurates third Africa STI Forum in Cairo

CAIRO -10 February 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi inaugurated on Saturday the third Africa Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation "Africa STI Forum" that will be held from February 10 to 12 in Cairo.

Third Africa STI Forum is co-organized by the African Development Bank and the Egyptian government. The event is also supported by the Republic of South Korea, Japan and other partners.

The forum titled “The use of scientific research, technology and innovation tools to maximize the utilization of the natural resources of the African continent and their impact on the continent's economy”, is attended by 35 African Ministers of Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation in addition to representatives of the public and private sectors.

The third edition of the Africa STI Forum emphasizes the importance of research to foster innovation and exploitable goods and services, by focusing on the private sector in five areas: climate change, nutrition, water, ICT and pharmaceuticals - five selected areas as they offer tangible opportunities for economic transformation in Africa.

It targets to achieve economic growth and enhance the competitiveness of the African private sector through the use of science, technology and innovation.

“This objective will be achieved by urging the countries of the continent to invest more in research, higher education and science, to build a knowledge economy and not to miss the train of the new industrial revolution on the move,” a statement by the forum said.

The second edition of “Africa STI forum” took place in Morocco in 2014. It was attended by 19 ministers of education, science, technology and innovation, and more than 300 participants. It enlarged the partnership to 21 international organizations.

The second edition focused on assessing the state of STI in Arica, promoting innovation, showcasing best global practices.