Opening of the Egyptian Telecom Cyber Security Innovation Lab at the headquarters of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in the Smart Village
In a strategic step to support digital innovation and build technical competencies in Egypt, the headquarters of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport at the Faculty of Computers and Information Technology in the Smart Village witnessed today the official opening of the WE Innovate Star Cyber Security Innovation Lab, one of the specialized laboratories adopted by Telecom Egypt as part of its vision to build an integrated system to support applied innovation and technological entrepreneurship.
This laboratory comes as part of the strategic partnership between Telecom Egypt, the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, with the aim of enhancing the link between the academic aspect and practical application in the fields of cybersecurity, advanced technologies and artificial intelligence. It is also part of Telecom Egypt's strategy through the WE Innovate Star program to create a network of specialized and diverse innovation laboratories that cover various stages of the innovation journey, ranging from supporting scientific research, developing ideas and converting them into viable prototypes (MVP), to product development and testing in real operating environments and accelerating the readiness of startups to grow and expand. These laboratories provide an integrated environment for students, researchers, entrepreneurs and startups to develop innovative solutions and technologies that meet the needs of the market, support digital transformation efforts and strengthen Egypt's position as a regional center for innovation and technology.
On the sidelines of the opening, Eng. Tamer Al-Mahdi, Managing Director and CEO of Egyptian Telecommunications, and Prof. Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghaffar, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. Signing a memorandum of understanding between the two sides with the aim of providing a supportive environment for innovation by providing specialized training programs, technical guidance, and practical workshops, in addition to enhancing the integration of academic and research expertise on the one hand, and practical and technological expertise on the other hand.
Engineer Tamer Al-Mahdi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt, said: “The WE Innovate Star program is one of the main axes of Telecom Egypt's strategy in supporting innovation and technological entrepreneurship. By creating a system of specialized innovation laboratories, we seek to provide an integrated journey for innovators and start-ups starting from scientific research and idea development, through the construction of prototypes and proving their feasit, to developing and testing products in real operating environments and accelerating the readiness of companies to grow and expand. The opening of the Cyber Security Innovation Lab today is one of the important pillars of this system, contributing to building distinguished national cadres and developing innovative technical solutions that serve the needs of the local and regional market.”
For his part, Prof. Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghaffar, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, said: “We are proud of the strategic partnership with Telecom Egypt, which embodies the real integration between academic and practical experiences. This laboratory will provide our students and researchers with an advanced application platform that supports their research and develops their skills in the fields of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and modern technology, contributing to the preparation of a new generation capable of leading the future of digital innovation in Egypt.”
Engineer Walid Zakaria, Vice President of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority for Cybersecurity Affairs, said: “The opening of the Cybersecurity Innovation Lab is in line with the objectives of the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2023–2027, which is based on building specialized national capacities, promoting innovation in technical solutions, and consolidating cooperation between regulators, academic institutions and the private sector. Empowering young people to possess knowledge tools and practical application in an advanced innovation environment is one of the main axes of the strategy, which contributes to the development of cadres capable of protecting the country's digital space, and at the same time creating products and services that compete regionally and internationally, which consolidates Egypt's position in the field of cybersecurity.
The activities of the ceremony witnessed the presence of a group of leaders and officials in the ICT sector and the Academy, led by Eng. Tamer Al-Mahdi, Managing Director and CEO of Egyptian Telecommunications, Eng. Waleed Zakaria, Vice President of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority for Cyber Security Affairs, Eng. Walaa Salah Al-Din, CEO Advisor for Innovation and Cyber Security, and Dr. Alia Al-Jazar, Dean of the Faculty of Computers and Information Technology at the Academy.
The ceremony was also attended by a constellation of the Egyptian telecommunications leaders, the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, Maritime Transport and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, in addition to representatives of AGX Consultant, the executing company WE Innovate Star, along with a number of distinguished teams participating in the program.
The Cybersecurity Innovation Lab is one of the main components of the innovation system developed by the WE Innovate Star program, which aims to build an integrated path to support innovation, starting from scientific research and idea development, through the construction of prototypes and proof of concept, to the development and testing of products in real operating environments and accelerate the growth of startups. Through this system, Telecom Egypt seeks to enable innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs to turn promising ideas into competitive solutions, products and companies locally and regionally, contributing to supporting the digital economy and strengthening Egypt's position as a regional center for technological innovation.