Higher Education: Supporting Fourth Industrial Revolution alliances, electric cars, and artificial intelligence incubators, with an amount of 100 million pounds

Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, reviewed a report submitted by Dr. Mahmoud Saqr, President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, on the follow-up to the implementation of the Ministry’s plan for research, development and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things and to catch up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The report indicated that the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research assigned the Academy of Scientific Research to adopt an integrated implementation plan for research, development and innovation to support the country’s efforts towards catching up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and benefiting from the applications of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, three years ago, noting that the Academy launched and supported several initiatives to achieve the ministry's strategy (Egypt's Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2030) and actually start implementing these initiatives, within the framework of its second implementation plan 2018-2022.

The report added that several initiatives have been implemented, including the formation of a national alliance for the Fourth Industrial Revolution led by the Scientific Excellence Center at the Ministry of Military Production, and it aims by September 2021 to transform one of the factories of the Ministry of Military Production into a smart factory in accordance with the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and what this entails in terms of training, capacity building, and supplying machinery and the equipment in the factory has sensors and systems that enable communication between machines without human intervention, sending real-time data on the efficiency of the equipment and the need for maintenance, and reporting malfunctions before they occur, the Academy supported this project with an amount of 20 million pounds.

The report indicated the preparation of a road map for the local manufacture of electric cars and the support of a national coalition that includes design, electrical, mechanics and economics engineers, to support the design and manufacture of the initial sample of a locally made electric car, the Academy supported this project with a value of 20 million pounds, and the alliance's work is being coordinated with the Ministry of Military Production.

The initiatives included the establishment of an incubator for artificial intelligence and another for the Internet of things at the universities (Alexandria and Ain Shams) and a communication association. The support provided by the Academy to these incubators, in cooperation with “Rowad 2030” project at the Ministry of Planning, amounted to nearly 20 million pounds.

The report stated that the Academy organized for the fourth year in a row the "Cairo Rally for Homemade Electric Cars" in cooperation with the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, a competition that resulted in the qualification of hundreds of young Egyptian engineers in the field of local manufacturing of electric cars through an attractive competitive method that included the support of the Academy Since its launch, the rally has earned nearly 20 million pounds.

The report added that the Academy of Scientific Research supported a national project for smart agriculture, a plant clinic and digital extension in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Nile University, and the actual implementation of the “Seds Research Station” at the Agricultural Research Center and the “Al-Maghara” farm in cooperation with the “Egyptian Countryside” company, with a total funding of up to 15 one million pound.

The report hinted at supporting graduation projects in the fields of artificial intelligence, Internet of things and robotics with about 5 million pounds, and preparations are being made to implement the El Alamein International Robotics Competition during the summer of this year, and the proposals submitted are being evaluated on a technical and financial competitive basis.

The review of this report came during the meeting of the Minister of Higher Education with the President of the Academy of Scientific Research on the sidelines of the conference of the Ministry of Military Production for the official launch of the national initiative to prepare cadres for the digitization of industry using the techniques of the Fourth Industrial Revolution at the Ministry of Military Production, which was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, it was inaugurated by Engineer Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, Minister of State for Military Production, in the presence of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Eng. Hisham Tawfik, Minister of Public Business Sector, Dr. Mahmoud Saqr, President of the Academy of Scientific Research, and a group of scientists, experts and industrialists, the head of the Academy, representing the Ministry, participated in the event in the discussion session of the conference is entitled "The future of digital manufacturing in Egypt".