The 5th Cairo International Exhibition for Innovation, to be held on 8 – 9 November in Cairo’s Exhibition Grounds under the title Cairo Innovates, is being publicised through Cairo’s public buses.
The Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), which is organising the exhibition, has splashed advertisements of the event along the sides of Cairo’s buses, taking advantage of the fact that the buses navigate 69 districts that straddle Greater Cairo.
Cairo Innovates brings together the largest number of innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs to overcome challenges in various industrial fields.
In reply to why advertising the exhibition has gone through public buses instead of satellite TV channels or newspapers, Sherine Sabry, spokesperson of ASRT, said: “Our resources are limited and we sought to manage the exhibition expenses from outside the State budget. Public buses reach everywhere in Cairo, and using them for advertising had the added value of being affordable.”
The exhibition will cover various tracks such as the innovative child, graduation projects, technology startups, supporters of innovation, science and technology, future technologies and individual social enterprise.
It is expected that ministers, State officials, investors, businessmen, banks, and NGOs would visit the exhibition, as well as some 650 exhibitors from Egypt, China, Arab and African countries and more than 5000 visitors from among the public interested in sciences, technology and innovation.
The exhibition will include innovative creations and solutions from more than 40 technology transfer offices, 14 technology alliances, more than 50 graduation projects, about 60 innovations by individuals, 17 emerging technology companies, more than 20 technical education projects, 15 workspace joint model projects, and more than 20 models from the University of the Child. This year a new section has been added for future technologies, including artificial intelligence, the Internet of financial things and financial technologies. There is also a section for supporters of innovation, including financing, incubators, technological accelerators, joint workspaces, investment funds, and others.
The ASRT will give the winners financial prizes, certificates and incubation opportunities, to the tune of a million Egyptian pounds.
This year’s guest of honour is South Africa. The exhibition is part of the activities that mark Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Watani International
5 November 2018