Italian companies are looking to become more involved in Egypt's fledgling IT sector, Eman Youssef reports As part of a broader plan to promote Italian development in the field, SMAU Menti@Contatto, also called the International Exhibition for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), took place in Naples from 26-28 March. Organising the fair was SMAU and the National Institute for Foreign Commerce (ICE). SMAU is an organisation seeking to promote information technology (IT) in Italy and the Middle East. SMAU President Antonio Emmanuelli was guardedly optimistic about the future of IT in Egypt. He said that Egypt's IT sector has one of the fastest growth rates in the Middle East and the world, around 30 per cent, but added the caveat: "it must work quickly to solve the problem of teaching new skills and retraining workers." Some 140 international companies participated in the fair, plying the latest telecommunications and consumer electronics wares. The Italian Trade Centre in Cairo aided the Egyptian delegation, which was represented by Al-Ahram's Information and Communication Technology Exhibition (ACITEX) and the Egyptian Software Association (ESA), to participate in the fair. More Egyptian companies are scheduled to attend next year's SMAU event. Additional opportunities for cooperation between Italy and Egypt in the field of IT are likely to arise in February 2005 when an Italian delegation attends ACITEX in Cairo. SMAU 2004's mission, according to Emmanuelli, is to provide support to companies that want to grow, as well as provide a venue where their businesses can interact with foreign, especially Middle Eastern companies to expand their activities and energise their businesses. "This is why, traditionally, SMAU features a large number of foreign exhibitors," said Emmanuelli. Mohamed Naser, chairman of the Egyptian Software Association (ESA) said that the event was a good opportunity for businessmen to meet, compare ideas and learn about the latest Italian IT technologies. "SMAU is our highway to the Italian and European markets," said Naser. He added that it was a key event for industry professionals on the lookout for new opportunities and business contacts. A memorandum of understanding was signed between SMAU and ESA as part of a broad plan to promote Egypt's IT sector. Maura Gritti, general manager of international operations at SMAU, told Al-Ahram Weekly that Egypt has all the qualifications to make substantial progress in this field. "Egypt can't lose such a good opportunity to understand and penetrate the Italian market." "Egypt could benefit from the Italian experience in the ICT field," Emmanuelli told the Weekly, adding that Italian entrepreneurs are likewise very interested in expanding their business links in Egypt and the Middle East. There is a strong correlation between technology growth rates and a healthy, expanding gross domestic product, Emmanuelli observed. He emphasised that the ICT field and new technologies are among the more dynamic elements of the economy. The fair was inaugurated by the Governor of Campania, Antonio Bassolino, the minister of innovations and technologies, Lucio Stanca, Menti@contatto president, Giovanni Frangipane, SMAU president, Antonio Emmanuelli, the scientific research councillor of Campania, Luigi Nicolais, the councillor for production activities in Campania, Gianfranco Alois. This year's SMAU Menti@contatto fair also witnessed the launch of a new portal dedicated to the tourism and the cultural assets of Campania, the Italian region around Naples. Campania is a region in southern Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea, centred around the city of Naples. The aim of the exhibition was to promote a closer link among enterprises, institutions and the ICT Campania market. "The development of information systems is very important for our future. In Naples there are the right synergies. All of the public enterprises and administers must do as much as possible to adapt themselves to the development," added Alois. Frangipane said the challenge is promoting the role of the region in Europe, the Mediterranean and all over Italy. He highlighted the role of technology in the rebirth of the region: "We are witnessing a technological revolution and we can't be caught unprepared in Europe and Italy." The fair has attracted some 28,000 visitors, with transportation problems caused by striking workers apparently not preventing visitors from flocking to the fair. The event is the fruit of four years' hard work by the Menti@contatto team. "Information and communication technologies can be a key means for the growth of the South," said Luigi Stanca, minister of the innovation and technologies said. To this end the Italian government has allocated some 1.5 billion euros for technological research in underdeveloped areas, especially in southern Italy.
