"AS THE WORLD shrinks to become an ever smaller village we must become more productive and competitive," said Rachid Mohamed Rachid, minister of foreign trade and industry, at last week's opening of the first German-Egyptian Technology Symposium and Trade Fair (GETS). Sherine El-Madany attended. "We can do this through a strong technological infrastructure that will increase the potential of our human resources and enhance our economic performance."
Organised by the German Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GACIC) in cooperation with the Federation of Industries,GETS aims to promote the transfer of German technology to a range of local businesses and help match make partnerships between German and Egyptian companies.
"Egypt, with its relatively diversified industrial base, its human resources, large market, as well as its favourable geographic location, has the potential to become a haven for foreign investors, a place where technology is not only bought from abroad but is produced at home," said Peter G?pfrich, CEO of GACIC. "The economic policies being pursued and endeavours to modernise Egyptian industry are succeeding in attracting local and international investment to Egypt."
The symposium brought together German and Egyptian policy-makers as well as individual companies, business associations and educational institutions. They presented technological solutions to problems in the energy, healthcare, education, and information technology sectors and highlighted methods of training and enhancing human resources.
Tarek Kamel, minister of communications and information technology highlighted that German investment in the field of ICT began in the mid-1970s, when Siemens started to actively transfer telecom information and skills. Partnership in ICT was pushed further when Giesecke and Devrient (G&D) began investing in the Egyptian market, working on the National ID project and smart card technology.
The symposium suggested ways of helping Egyptian products meet international standards and thus enhance their exportability, and highlighted opportunities offered by educational institutes in Germany to Egyptians seeking specialised professional training.
"Building on technological education and transfer will increase trade ties between Egypt and Germany," said Mustafa Samaha, managing director of G&D Egypt and chairman of the newly established ICT Committee at GACIC. GETS, he believes, has succeeded in developing a win-win partnership, allowing German companies access to local markets while helping Egypt export to German and European markets.
© Al Ahram Weekly 2005
