Business
Nokia to host platform for Africa’s innovators
More than 200 of Africa’s top policy makers, developers, entrepreneurs and private enterprises are due to meet in the capital of Kenya, Nairobi next week to find ways to spur technological innovation in the continent.
The three-day Open Innovation Africa Summit (OIAS) will stimulate discussion about the role of entrepreneurship, innovation and ICTs in Africa—not just among participants but also virtually—and explore the transformative innovations necessary to successfully address many of the challenges facing the continent today.
The forum is the second such conference to be held in the Kenyan capital and is organized by Nokia, CapGemini and infoDev, the World Bank’s technology entrepreneurship and innovation program.
The main aim of the summit is to empower African thought- leaders to find ways to spur technological innovation within their own local context.
The summit themed “Leadership in Innovation” brings the spotlight on the leadership required to drive acceleration of African entrepreneurship and innovations, in order to reach the ambitious targets for socio-economic development across the continent.
“We want that ‘switch’ to click in the minds of the policy- makers, innovators and business leaders who can envision change and make it happen,” Valerie D’Costa, Program Manager of infoDev, said in a statement issued in Nairobi, Wednesday.
“In the end, we want it to lead to new sustainable businesses creating new jobs. Both Nokia and infoDev believe that mobile innovations can change lives for the better, leading to improvements in education, health, agriculture and overall livelihoods.”
Nokia’s Vice President of Corporate Relations and Business Environment for the Middle East and Africa Jussi Hinkkanen said the event underscores that Nokia and infoDev believe in the power of partnerships and that Africa is ready to for an entrepreneurial revolution.
“Without open innovation enabling business environment and seamless collaboration, creation of new innovative enterprises and locally relevant solutions becomes incredibly challenging,” Hinkkanen said.
The summit will also celebrate the winners of the open “Ideas to Innovation” challenge, an online competition held earlier in the year for turning ideas into successful businesses.
After years of lagging in ICT, Africa is now emerging as a recognized innovator in areas such as financial inclusion and mobile app development, demonstrated by the growing number of firms from the continent now competing on the international stage.