The ICT Minister Yasser ElKady received, today, the State Secretary for EU Affairs and Trade of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Oscar Stenstrom, in the presence of the Ambassador of Sweden to Egypt Charlotte Sparre, where they discussed bilateral cooperation in the field of ICTs, especially partnerships in technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and a number of giant international Swedish companies operating in Egypt. Talks focused on new business and partnership opportunities, especially in the field of smart technological solutions and industrial digital technologies.
ElKady has reviewed the State’s trend towards establishing technological parks and smart connected cities, underlining the government’s keenness to provide a supportive environment through efficient infrastructure, qualified technological calibers and effective regulatory frameworks. He has called on Swedish companies to hold further discussions with ITIDA to exchange expertise, benefit from successful experiences and enhance openness in the global technology market. He also underscored his support for the global Swedish companies operating in Egypt to expand their activities.
The ICT Minister also urged ICT companies operating in Egypt to increase the volume of their exports of technology services and products. He pointed to the incentives offered by the Egyptian government to encourage and support this trend, referring to the availability of local expertise, technical calibers and outstanding job opportunities that will be available due to the expansion in export activities in the equipment manufacturing and electronic industries.
For his part, Stenstrom tackled the discussion of the Swedish experience in providing telecommunications and Internet services throughout Sweden and how they benefit from this important resource in developing the digital economy. He, also, pointed out that Sweden has a base of small and medium-sized enterprises that use technology extensively, referring to the role of the state supporting the adoption of the entrepreneurship concept and the development of startups to assist them compete in the global market.
The two sides agreed to discuss means of cooperation to identify the entrepreneurial environment in the technology sector in the two countries. The main factors of this environment lie in attracting investments, developing professional and technical calibers, activating regulatory frameworks and finding suitable means to attract funding.
Delegation of Swedish companies attending the meeting:
§ Cybercom Group: a consulting firm in the IT field and in digital solutions design and construction and communications security. It provides its expertise and advisory services for public and government institutions and major international companies which use modern technologies
§ Ericsson: a leading provider of data communication systems and remote communications
§ ABB: specialized in providing power systems, automatic control and smart digital solutions for the industrial sector; has activities in the energy and financial services sector; and provides its services in smart city projects
