Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday presided over the official launch of the country’s first Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in Kigali.
The so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution is described by experts as an opportunity to help everyone, including leaders, policy-makers and people from all income groups and nations, to harness converging technologies in order to create an inclusive, human-centred future.
The real opportunity is to look beyond technology, and find ways to give the greatest number of people the ability to positively impact their families, organisations and communities.
The development is part of the efforts to position Rwanda as a proof-of-concept hub and an enabler of the innovation and startup ecosystem, according to the ministry.
According to Paula Ingabire, Rwandan Minister for ICT and Innovation, the center is part of a global network, which allows it to easily leverage the knowledge that its counterparts have already created, “while simultaneously giving Rwanda a platform to share its journey and continuously provide thought leadership on tech-enabled economic transformation.”
“We chose Artificial Intelligence and data to stay in line with the country’s strategic priorities for technology, and use it to spur data-driven development,” she said.
Commenting on the move, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that the launch of the new Centre is enabled by investments that we, as a country, have been making in science and technology.
“In Rwanda, and all over the world, emerging technologies have driven innovations to contain the Covid pandemic, and mitigate its impact on livelihoods,” Kagame said.
CU/as/APA