For a long time, Africa has not had an opportunity to be part of the first, second, and third industrial revolutions. While others led in disrupting the world, Africa was relegated to being a consumer.
The 4th industrial revolution is here with us and with it comes yet another opportunity for Africa. Whether the continent steps up and plays a role in these disruptive and emerging technologies or remains a consumer remains to be seen.
However, a few things will determine if Africa is truly ready for this revolution.
We had a chat with one of the founders and directors of Swift Robotics, Shahid Mogul, to discuss how Africa can play a role in this.
Swift Robotics is looking to bring these disruptive technologies across Africa, starting with Kenya. The company is looking to both train and enable skillsets that help the continent adopt these emerging technologies.
Policy
In order to take advantage of these technologies and ensure future generations benefit, the right policies need to be implemented. African countries need to position themselves on the same level as developed nations if they are to play a dominant role in the coming revolution.
According to Shahid:
“We need regulators and policy makers in Africa not to sign agreements on open source technologies already existing [..] We want them to emulate how India makes policies on technology and medicine. We don’t them to cut and paste policies from industrialized and Western countries. We must make our own policies.”
Education
In order to be self-sustaining and supporting, Africa needs to develop and build capacity within the continent that will enable it remain and be competitive in this revolution. It will be necessary to offer the needed training and skillsets in these technologies in a way that that fits the African context.
To achieve this, Swift Robotics aims to start education courses aimed at offering AI, IOT, Robotics, and 3D-printing courses. The company has also partnered with various higher-learning institutions in the country in order to roll out these courses.
Integration
AI, IOT, and robotics are great technologies in themselves, but having the skillsets is not enough. In order to leverage these in industries and businesses, they need to be integrated and managed properly. This is where the role of an integrator comes in.
Integration will enable businesses to connect these technologies to their existing business structure and help them take advantage of the opportunities they offer. Integrators like Swift Robotics, and others, will make this possible.
Africa is well positioned to become the crucible of innovation. It has the youngest population of any continent, it has a highly vibrant indigenous culture, and is eager to adopt new technologies evidenced by the success of mobile money on the continent. There is no reason why Africa cannot play a role in the 4th industrial revolution.
Swift Robotics is holding East Africa’s largest A.I. conference on October 26th, 2018 to discuss these and other emerging technologies like the Blockchain.
To purchase tickets, visit: http://swiftrobotics.co.ke/
About Swift Robotics
Swift Robotics & A.I (E.A) Enterprise, (”Everything Intelligent”) is a company based out of Nairobi, Kenya, that aims to be a unifying entity in bringing together a consortium of seasoned companies, institutions and professionals involved in finished products, tech designs, education and consultancy. In this, the company strives to become a leading product, solution and service provider, being an integrator driving Africa into comfortably understanding and embracing the 4th Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0.
