The Fifth Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship by infoDev has begun in East London, South Africa, with a focus on developing innovative approaches to business, exchange expertise and establishing partnerships.
Janamitra Devan, vice president for finance and private sector development for the World Bank, Noxolo Kiviet, premier of the Eastern Cape and Derek Hanekom, minister of science and technology, opened the conference this morning.
“It’s an honour for me to be addressing you at the Fifth Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship and the first to be held in Africa,” Hanekom said.
“It is really good to see, and be a part of Africa embracing its role in advancing the global innovation agenda at the same time empowering citizens, creating jobs and growing the economy.”
Hanekom added: “African innovators are increasingly receiving global recognition in important technology areas.”
The forum also seeks to enable innovative entrepreneurship for sustainable, employment and inclusive growth within developing countries.
Keynote speeches during today’s program were delivered by Andile Ngcaba, founder of Convergence Partners, Toni Maraviglia, founder of Eneza, and Ibrahima Wade, the permanent secretary of the Accelerated Growth Strategy from Senegal.
The Fifth Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship was made possible by South Africa’s department of science and technology and infoDev.
The forum is supported by Sweden and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
