CAIRO: The Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in coordination with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), the state-run Science and Technology Fund and IBM Corporation has launched the country's first nanotechnology center in the country. The aim, Minister Tarek Kamel told an opening ceremony to inaugurate the institute, is to boost Egypt's technological education and scientific applications. The minister argued that this is an important step for technology in Egypt and “sends a strong signal about the state's interest in promoting research and development.” According to a press statement from ITIDA, the new center will “be geared towards conducting research in the production of solar and renewable energy, water desalination and modelling software programs.” The move to establish the center comes as Egypt continues its push as one of the leading outsourcing destinations worldwide. Last year, Cairo jumped into the top 10 cities for companies to outsource. At the Smart Village, some 30 minutes outside Cairo, which houses the ministry, international companies, including IBM and Microsoft have taken advantage of Egypt's low salaries to establish bases in the country. Microsoft runs its entire call center operations from Cairo, where callers from the United States, Europe and across the globe will call to request XBOX information. The massive hall is home to over 100 individuals, who answer technical questions in myriad languages, including English, Arabic, Portuguese, French, Chinese and others. “The centre will go operational with 10 Egyptian specialists, who will be the basis for qualifying more researchers in this rare specialisation,” Kamel continued. He said he hoped “this strong beginning” would encourage Egyptian scientists working abroad to return home. Brain drain has been a major setback to Egypt's continued progress and the belief is that with the establishment of infrastructure, the country can begin to retain the country's brightest. “Nanotechnology is a new and exciting field for innovation, affecting every industry,” added Kamel. “It has been identified as the way to position Egypt to become part of the next technological revolution.” BM
