Qualcomm Announces AfricaInnovation Platform

Emma Okonji

Qualcomm Incorporated has announced the launch of the Africa Innovation Platform, a suite of mentorship, education, and training programs created to support the development of Africa’s emerging technology ecosystem.

The platform will provide resources and support for local universities, small-to-medium sized startups, and grant, exposing participants to Qualcomm Technologies Inc.’s engineers and its state-of-the-art capabilities suite for mobile platforms and technologies, including 4G, 5G, Internet of Things (IoTs), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML).

Senior Vice President and President, Europe/Middle East and Africa, Qualcomm Europe, Inc, Enrico Salvatori, said: “The Africa Innovation Platform will stimulate innovation around product development, inspire learning, fuel research, and increase awareness around the value of intellectual property throughout the continent. At its core, Qualcomm is a research and development engine, and we are proud this program will simultaneously inspire the next generation of inventors, while also fueling the broader technology ecosystem.”

Qualcomm representatives will engage and collaborate with governments, trade associations, and other key stakeholders throughout the continent, including the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), to launch the Africa Innovation Platform.

According to African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the union will remain a firm advocate of innovation. It recently initiated a youth innovation programme for Africa with a projected financial value of about $400,000.”

“ATU welcomes Qualcomm’s Africa Innovation Initiative and, working together, looks forward to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), catalyzing new business opportunities, and contributing to solving challenges in various sectors such as education, health, agriculture, movement, trade, and government services,” the union said in a statement.

Vice President and Head of Government Affairs, Qualcomm International, Inc, Elizabeth Migwalla, said: “At Qualcomm, we have always been passionate about innovation. The Africa Innovation Platform is an exciting new program that builds on our close work with governments, operators, and telecommunications standardization bodies over the past several years. The programs that make up the platform will ultimately help African companies service African markets throughout the continent and realize their global ambitions, further accelerating the growth of Africa’s creation economy.”