Six African countries – Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco – have scaled through and will participate in the finals of the Africa IoT and AI Challenge.
The winning countries made it to the top at the ongoing fifth edition of the Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IEEE GCAIoT 2021) themed “Societal impacts of digital disruption” in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from December 13 to 16,2021 at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel.
A statement issued by the organisers – the University of Dubai, IEEE TEMS, IEEE Region and the Global innovation and Entrepreneurship (GIE), a leader in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship programmes and initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa region – said the final of the edition of the challenge will be held with the participation of 21 teams divided into two main parts; graduation projects for university students and start-ups in the fields of the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.
Commenting on this, president of IEEE TEMS, Andy Chen, said: “The society spares no effort in helping innovators from all over the world to develop their scientific, practical and managerial skills and expertise, to develop new solutions and technologies that contribute to the progress and well-being of nations and people in line with the basic goal of establishing the IEEE, as well as the objectives of governments and states around the world. Explaining that Africa IoT & AI Challenge is one of the most important pilot programs adopted by the association in the Middle East and Africa. It has met with the acceptance and support of many countries, governments, and regional and international institutions interested in artificial intelligence technology and the Internet of Things and is accelerating digital transformation programs.”
It is worth mentioning that Africa IoT & AI Challenge involved 20 start-up, 80 graduation project ideas, and 125 from secondary schools from Egypt. A total of 5 teams qualified for the regional finals. From Kenya, 30 start-ups participated, of which three teams qualified for the finals. Morocco included 31 start-ups 45 graduation projects, 9 teams from secondary schools, a total of 3 teams qualified under a team in each category. From Tunisia, 58 start-ups participated and two qualified. In Uganda, 28 start-ups, 65 teams from graduation projects, and 6 teams qualified. In Nigeria, 10 start-up and 20 graduation project teams, as well as two teams qualified for the finals.
