Ericsson today announced that it will be hosting an innovation station named “Ericsson AHUB” in partnership with Informa at AfricaCom 2015, Cape Town, 17- 19 November. The innovation station will bring together Africa’s leading entrepreneurs, tech start-ups and angel investor communities to encourage investment and showcase talent in the technology sector.
This initiative extends Ericsson’s commitment to driving the Networked Society in Africa through innovation.
Tumi Chamayou, Vice President for Strategy, Marketing and Communications for Ericsson in sub-Saharan Africa, says: “The mobile penetration in Africa has led to an emergence of innovations and presents significant opportunities for both the private and public sectors. Ericsson has been supporting innovation globally and locally with a number of initiatives, including the Ericsson Innovation Awards. We believe the Ericsson AHUB will create a platform that will try and fill the gap that exists between innovation and funding.”
With the absence of conventional structures to provide young people with access to sponsorship opportunities, and in getting start-ups off the ground, the Ericsson AHUB will help create a platform to help tech-start-ups present their solutions to a range of investors.
Innovative companies grow where there are ecosystems in place, as this is what most guarantees a return on investment. Through the innovation station, Ericsson is playing a part in creating an environment conducive to innovation that will address specific African challenges.
Africa has embraced a number of innovations that are tackling Africa’s common challenges. Inventions which harness the power of mobile have empowered farmers to access important agricultural information, students to attend online universities via smartphones, nurses to share maternal health information and fight Ebola, and consumers to access financial services via mobile phones.
Ericsson drives innovation across the communications spectrum. Through an annual investment of USD $5 billion in research and development, Ericsson has been at the forefront of some of mobile technology’s most significant advancements.
According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, the total number of mobile subscriptions in Q1 2015 was around 910 million for all of Africa, including 21 million new subscriptions. The increase in mobile ownership has led to the rise of innovative solutions in different sectors, from education to transportation, from healthcare to farming. The Ericsson AHUB aims to ensure that innovative ideas from the region are recognized and supported for the better growth of the economy.