The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), part of the Egyptian Ministry of Communications, announced on Wednesday opening the 18th round of applications for the Graduation Projects Support Programme, one of the Information Technology Academia Collaboration (ITAC) programmes.
The programme aims to support university students and encourage innovation. It targets senior year students enrolled in Faculties of Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Systems in Egyptian universities and institutes.
Students are to apply their graduation projects in the fields of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) during the period from January 15 to February 15, 2023, ITIDA explained in a statement.
ITIDA has also announced increasing the allocated fund for the Graduation Projects Support Programme from 10,000 Egyptian pounds to 30,000 pounds ($329.69 to $989.15).
Additionally, the agency has also raised the amount of fund for ICT companies and academic entities within the framework of the Collaborative Funded Projects Programme.
Accordingly, ICT companies applying for preliminary research projects (PRPs) will receive an increased fund amounting to 700,000 pounds instead of 250,000 pounds only. Applying ICT companies must present projects that aimed at developing innovative prototypes based on the efforts of research and development teams in companies that include at least two researchers, with a maximum duration of one year.
The allocated fund for academic entities applying for preliminary research projects (PRP) has been raised from 250,000 pounds to 350,000 pounds for projects reaching the “proof of concept” stage only. However, projects are to receive the full funding amount of 700,000 pounds, if the “proof of concept” stage is further employed in developing prototypes and establishing start-up companies.
The funds increase aims at lifting the capabilities of PRPs to complete the value chain of the research projects to reach the phase of product development and execution (PDP). It also aims at encouraging ICT companies to apply to the 34th round of the Collaborative Funded Projects Programme, which will be open from March 1 to April 30, 2023. The programme aims to enhance cooperation between ICT companies and universities to implement joint projects and contribute to building an innovative knowledge economy.
Launched in 2006, the ITAC initiative aims to boost the Egyptian ICT industry by fostering collaboration between industry and academia to develop innovative products based on research, thus positioning Egyptian ICT companies at the forefront of the ICT market, both locally and globally.
