(STRIDE Ethiopia 2024 Expo to kick-off tomorrow)
Science, technology, and innovation sectors have become among the key focus areas of Ethiopia’s national reform. Thanks to the reform measures, the innovation and technology sector has been showing significant progress and sustainable development for the past five years now. In addition to the infrastructural investments and creating a conducive ecosystem for the development of the sector, the Ethiopian government has given due priority to promoting private investments and startups in the sector in recent years.
Efforts and investments are continuing and widening to develop the status and economic contribution of the science and technology sector in Ethiopia. By creating a conducive ecosystem for the science, technology, and innovation sectors, Ethiopia is striving to enhance the development of the sector. In addition to investments to develop infrastructures and reforming the policies, proclamations, and strategies, Ethiopia gives due focus to promoting and supporting local innovations and startups in the field.
Similarly, to develop cooperation, enhance research and innovations; to create strong linkages, and build competitiveness among local innovators and researchers, the Ethiopian Government gives due focus on promoting these initiatives. Among the initiatives is organizing national exhibitions and expos targeting science, innovation, technology, research, and digitalization sectors.
Ethiopia continues undertaking meaningful initiatives to stimulate and promote the science, technology and innovation sectors. Promoting the development of local technology helps to reduce the technological dependency of the country. Considering the sector’s role in fostering economic development endeavors and realizing prosperity, Ethiopia is working to create sound science and technology foundations.
In this regard, in April a national exhibition attended by nearly 900 startup businesses in different sectors was organized at the Science Museum here in Addis Ababa. The expo, which lasted for 20 days brought different innovators and startup businesses from different fields and helped them to share experiences, promote their products, and to create market linkages. These initiatives and exhibitions promote youth innovators and stimulate the sector in addition to the market linkages and related opportunities for the innovators and researchers.
Increasing its efforts to promote the sector, Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT) organized a national expo, STRIDE Ethiopia Expo 2024, which will start tomorrow at the Science Museum. The STRIDE (Science, Technology, Research, Innovation, Digitalization and Entrepreneurship) Ethiopia Expo will stay from May 18-26 and will kick off tomorrow, according to MInT. During a press briefing on the expo, MInT stated that STRIDE Ethiopia expo aims to foster collaborations and innovations in science, technology, research, innovation, digitalization, and entrepreneurship.
Initiating by MInT, STRIDE Ethiopia Expo 2024 is a pioneering annual event aimed at fostering collaboration and innovations in the STRIDE areas, MInT stated. “The expo focusing on Science, Technology, and Innovation sectors will be held from May 18 to 26, 2024, at Ethiopian Science Museum” a press release from MInT disclosed. Accordingly, the minister announced that more than 30 governmental institutions, more than 40 banks and e-commerce organizations, more than 30 companies, and more than 50 private sector actors will participate in the STRIDE Ethiopia expo 2024.
According to the Ministry, organized under the theme Science Unlocks, Technology Connects, Innovation Drives,” STRIDE Ethiopia Expo 2024 will serve as a conference and an expo. It brings together stakeholders from government institutions, startups and innovators, ecosystem builders, corporations, academia, and development partners.
During a briefing to the media, State Minister of MInT, Yeshurun Alemayehu (PhD) stated that the expo will be officially launched on May 18,2024 at the ICT Park, here in Addis Ababa in the presence of government officials and other invited guests. He added that the expo will be opened on the next day, on May 19 at the Science Museum for the public.
In addition to promoting the activities in the science, technology, digitalization, and research areas, the expo aims at strengthening the linkage between the actors of the sector and creating awareness about the services and new products in the sectors, according to MInT. In the expo, more than 150 companies and institutions both from the government and private sectors engaged in electronic services, technology companies, banks, E-commerce, and ICT companies are projected to participate. Innovational products in various areas such as information technology, education, industry, agriculture, health, and other areas will be displayed at the exhibition, according to the minister.
Serving both as a conference and expo, the STRIDE Ethiopia 2024 brings stakeholders from diverse fields. “Through exhibitions, forums, and networking opportunities, STRIDE Ethiopia facilitates engagement, promotes digital government services, supports startups, and showcases disruptive technologies,” MInT disclosed adding the event will provide a platform to shape Ethiopia’s digital economy landscape by discussing national and international policies. The expo will facilitate engagements, promote digital government services, support startups, and showcase disruptive technologies. MInT calls everyone to visit the expo at the Science Museum.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
The Ethiopian herald May 17/2024
