An array of mentorship, education, and training programs have been developed by top wireless technology company Qualcomm to help the growth of Africa’s burgeoning technological sector.
The platform will give access to Qualcomm’s engineers and its cutting-edge capabilities suite for mobile platforms and technologies, including 4G, 5G, IoT, AI, and machine learning, to local institutions, small-to-medium-sized companies, and award participants.
“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,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president for Europe/Middle East and Africa at Qualcomm Europe. “At its core, Qualcomm is an R&D engine, and we are proud this programme will simultaneously inspire the next generation of inventors, while also fueling the broader technology ecosystem.”
In order to establish the Africa Innovation Platform, Qualcomm personnel will interact and work with governments, trade groups, and other significant players throughout the continent, including the African Telecommunications Union (ATU).
“The African Telecommunications Union is a firm advocate of innovation, and recently initiated a youth innovation programme for Africa with a projected financial value of about US $400,000,” said the ATU. “ATU welcomes Qualcomm’s Africa Innovation Initiative and, working together, looks forward to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), catalysing new business opportunities, and contributing to solving challenges in various sectors such as education, health, agriculture, movement, trade, and government services.”
The Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Programme is the most important program on Qualcomm’s Africa Innovation Platform from the perspective of startups. It is an equity-free mentorship program designed to identify promising early-stage startups eager to apply cutting-edge connectivity and processing technologies to innovative end-to-end systems solutions, including hardware, and to provide these companies with business coaching, access to engineering consultation, and other resources.
Applications for these programs are now being accepted. Qualcomm’s website has information on the application process, requirements, and perks.
