CAIRO: Egypt's Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) showcased the country's innovation offerings and collaborative multinational projects at the 2010 CIO 100 Symposium and Awards Ceremony in Rancho Palos Verdes, California in the United States. The appearance at the major symposium is a sign that Egypt is stepping forward as one of the world's leaders in the IT sector, Tarek el-Sadany, a senior advisor at ITIDA told Bikya Masr. “The future of IT innovation in a multilingual, global operation is something that Egypt has shown to be extremely capable of in recent years and our attendance at the symposium was an important step in maintaining our position globally,” he said. The annual event recognizes leadership in technology, information management and organizational development. It aimed to honor the outstanding achievements of 100 industry-leading endeavors. “Egypt recognizes that a country's capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship is a critical contributor to success in today's competitive global marketplace,” said el-Sadany. “That's why Egypt has invested heavily in the education and training over the past decade, resulting in a highly technical, multilingual workforce, a modern and safe business environment and cost-competitive services that foster the free flow of business innovation.” ITIDA has been a leading instrument in the continued growth of Egypt's IT sector, which according to the agency, has seen massive movement in the past few years. El-Sadany said that Internet use, foreign investment and user penetration has more than doubled to create the beginnings of an “Internet country.” He said that the Egyptian government has played an important role in supporting and backing the work of ITIDA and other organizations in Egypt that are making IT a priority. “With the government's backing and support, Egypt will help companies and organizations by providing an environment where innovators and entrepreneurs can thrive. Through multinational collaboration and partnerships, entrepreneurs will focus on building ground-breaking business models and further creating or developing existing capabilities to solve problems. Egypt has so much to offer and, together with our clients, ITIDA is the guiding force for technology innovation, investment and development across Egypt,” he added. BM