IASP Delegates Visit Konza Technopolis
Konza Technopolis played host to the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) Board and delegates when they toured the Silicon Savannah. The IASP Board members and delegates are in Nairobi to attend the 41st IASP Conference, which kicks off tomorrow at the Edge Convention Centre and runs until Friday.
The delegates from over 50 countries were able to see first hand the development of the Smart City.
“We are very pleased to witness the development of Konza Technopolis as one of the smart cities in Africa. Kenya is the second country in Africa to host the Conference and we are happy we granted Konza the rights to this year’s conference,” IASP Board President Lena Miranda said. The last IASP Conference in Africa was held in South Africa in 2008.
“We are proud to showcase our Silicon Savannah development to the IASP delegates as a testament to our focus on innovation and new technologies,” Eng. John Tanui, the Principal Secretary, State Department of Information Communication and Digital Economy said.
Konza Technopolis is a key flagship project of Kenya’s Vision 2030. Konza Technopolis Development Authority, KoTDA, is the implementing agency for Konza Technopolis under the Ministry of Information, Communications, and The Digital Economy. Technopolis is envisioned as a sustainable, world-class economic hub and a significant contributor to Kenya’s knowledge economy, with a vibrant mix of businesses, workers, residents, and urban amenities.
The conference brings together experts from science and technology parks and other areas of innovation, technology-based incubators, academia, the public sector, and business to discuss and debate in depth the latest trends in the industry’s increasingly complex structures for professional innovation support.
The theme for this year’s conference is Demographics, Entrepreneurship and Technology: Defining The Frontiers of Future Economies. The Conference will have numerous plenary and breakout sessions covering topical areas such as youth entrepreneurship and ecosystems, building hubs for innovation and social transformation, innovation in emerging markets and the fintech sector and emerging funding models. Other thematic areas will be fostering youth entrepreneurship in the and creative sectors, ethical considerations in innovation, Digital skilling opportunities to promote innovation and future of work and talent development.
“We look forward to very engaging sessions during the conference with great inputs from the panel of experts, practitioners, innovators, entrepreneurs and policy makers,” John Paul Okwiri, Konza Technopolis CEO said.