Uganda ICT delegation to make a parallel visit to Japan's ICT sector

The visits are aimed at promoting business collaboration between ICT players in the two countries. The first visit by the Japanese ICT delegates was hosted at the residence of Japan's Ambassador to Uganda in Nkasero, Kampala, on February 3, 2023.

The Information ministry permanent secretary Aminah Zawedde will be leading the delegation in the company of government officials, officials from the private sector, and four Ugandan engineers that participated in the Uganda Tech Engineers Challenge in 2021.

The same challenge was a collaborative effort by Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and the information ministry.

During the event in Nakasero, Japan's Ambassador to Uganda, Hidemoto Fukuzawa said the business tour intended to give an opportunity to Japan ICT-related companies to visit ICT hotspots in Uganda including vocational training institutions, academia, and private ICT engineering companies.

Fukuzawa said that JICA, under a project titled the Next Innovation with Japan (NINJA) Uganda is one of the 19 African countries that they are looking to work with to promote ICT.

"There are many areas that Japan is striving for innovation such as smart agriculture, remote medical care, robotics, and smart city. Japan is aiming to achieve Society 5.0, also called the 'super-smart society'. This envisions a sustainable, inclusive socio-economic system, powered by digital technologies such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence, robotics, and the Internet of Things," Fukuzawa said.

One Ugandan company developing a portable and mobile ultrasound echo device has already been selected to participate in the new project. Recently, Ugandan engineers who studied at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan built Uganda's first satellite Pearl Africa Sat1.

"I believe that the exchange of ideas between various Ugandans and Japanese, the creation of new businesses will add a new dimension to the relationship between Japan and Uganda," Fukuzawa said.

Fukuzawa also mentioned that Japan will host the Osaka-Kansai World Exposition in 2025 where the world will be introduced to how Japan is pioneering the future through technology, science, and innovation.