Last Fall, Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Scientific Research signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an innovation and an e-industry complex at Maadi Technology Park. The MoU comes in the framework of Egypt’s national strategy for the electronics industry.

This strategy aims at supporting electronics manufacturing services, systems industry, and the design and development of the integrated-circuits industry. This is in addition to creating 50 companies in the field of microelectronic and integrated systems, as well as establishing technology centers of excellence to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The MoU is in line with the government trend of linking industry to scientific research in the IT field. The complex is to provide scientific, research, marketing, and investment tools to support innovation and entrepreneurship for youth and SMEs, especially in the field of electronics and nanotechnology and its applications in information and communications technology and other fields.

Cairo University and the National Service Projects Organization of the Armed Forces are also participants in this agreement. Cairo University is to transfer all activities of the Egypt Nanotechnology Center to the complex, in addition to providing human resources, the technical expertise necessary for research and development work, and programs of study and specialized training. □