DST and Nokia partner on ICT initiatives to fur...
Espoo, Finland and Pretoria, South Africa - The Department of Science and
Technology (DST) and Nokia Corporation have announced an ambitious new
partnership aimed at implementing a number of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) projects in South Africa, targeted at providing a thrust for
innovation and growth across the country.
This follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by the DST and
Nokia, establishing a framework on which potential areas of collaboration can be
developed, funded and implemented.
Dr Phil Mjwara, Director-General: Esko Aho, Executive Vice President,
Department of Science and Technology Corporate Relations & Responsibility,
Nokia
Addressing the media on this partnership, the Minister of Science and
Technology, Naledi Pandor, acknowledged the role of ICT in stimulating economic
growth. "This is why the DST is leading the implementation of the national ICT
research, development and innovation strategy. In this regard, we view public-
private partnerships to be of importance for us in achieving this objective,"
said the Minister.
One of the key expected outcomes of this plan is an innovative indigenous ICT
industry that addresses South Africa's ICT needs in the public and private
sectors, and attracts investment by multinationals involved in innovation and
manufacturing.
In addition to a significant increase in the number of postgraduate students at
Masters and PhD levels, these R&D outputs are gradually evolving into near-
market prototypes, large-scale technology demonstrators and packaged solutions
that can readily address key priorities of government, such as education, health
and enhanced citizen interaction with government.
Vice President for Government Relations for Nokia Middle East and Africa, Jussi
Hinkkanen, said South Africa has a thriving telecommunication industry with a
lot of potential for disruptive innovation. "Our objective is to support local
talent in developing their skills, and then integrate them into both regional
and global markets," said Mr Hinkkanen.
In addition to stimulating entrepreneurial activity and high technological
innovation, the collaboration intends to stimulate the interest of South African
learners, cultivating the scientists and engineers of tomorrow. The General
Manager for Nokia in South Africa, Gerard Brandjes, added: "As South Africa's
leading mobile company, it is our responsibility to identify areas where our
technical skills can facilitate the development of society. We hope the
educational focus under this collaboration will motivate thousands of South
African learners to explore careers in technology."
Some key focus areas to highlight that are covered in the MOU:
- Basic Sciences Education Support Programs: In conjunction with the Department
of Basic Education, the DST and the Meraka Institute of the Council for
Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR), programs aimed at improved delivery
of educational services through the use of mobile devices are being implemented.
These include the Mobile Learning for Math and Nokia Education Delivery
initiatives which were created to assist in the education of tens of thousands
of South African learners.
- Mobile applications laboratory: This is a joint initiative between the DST,
infoDev, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Finland) and Nokia that intends to
train and build both the business and technical capabilities of the developer
community. This will help them develop locally relevant content, solutions and
services, and connect them to local, regional and international markets.
- Access to broadband networks for communities: Through Nokia Siemens Network
and the CSIR, the parties will explore ways to enhance access to ICT for rural
communities and support the wireless mesh network project.
- Support of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) bid: Through Nokia Siemens
Network, the Africa SKA Project Office and the DST, the parties will continue to
seek ways to enhance collaboration on large-scale computing, data transport and
sensor networks in support of the African SKA bid; a project that is expected to
revolutionize the ICT industry in terms of data processing and sensor networks.
"Nokia Siemens Networks is using its global expertise in telecommunications and
in-depth knowledge of the local South African market to advise the SKA bid
teams, from both a technical and business perspective, about the best options to
transport the huge volumes of generated data to the high-performance computer
center of the SKA. We have been involved in the project from the start,
supporting and advising the project team on all technical requirements, capacity
planning, provisioning and skills," said Rufus Andrew, Managing Director of
Nokia Siemens Networks South Africa.
With the commitment shown by all parties under this MOU - and the increased
investment in R&D by both private and public sectors - the DST and Nokia believe
that opportunities exist for bold interventions that will enable South Africa to
secure a greater share of global markets, and help bridge digital divide.
About Nokia
Nokia is committed to connecting people to what matters to them by combining
advanced mobile technology with personalized services. More than 1.3 billion
people connect to one another with a Nokia, from our most affordable voice-
optimized mobile phones to advanced Internet-connected smartphones sold in
virtually every market in the world. Through Ovi (www.ovi.com), people also
enjoy access to maps and navigation on mobile, a rapidly expanding applications
store, a growing catalog of digital music, free email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ
is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, and Nokia
Siemens Networks is one of the leading providers of telecommunications
infrastructure hardware, software and professional services globally.
Media Enquiries:
Nokia
Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34900
Email: press.services@nokia.com
Leo Mckay
Nokia, South Africa
Tel: +27 82 579 9483
Email: leo.mckay@nokia.com
www.nokia.com
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(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: NOKIA via Thomson Reuters ONE
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