Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) will house the first IBM research lab in Kenya that will focus on further development of mobile money technology and creating sustainable solutions through innovation.
The lab is a collaborative partnership between the Government of Kenya and IBM. Under the partnership, Kenya will provide the necessary environment and facilitate setting up the lab at the CUEA.
“Kenya stood out and the reason it stood out was we found in place a very comprehensive, bold and impressive strategy in the form of Vision 2030,” IBM Research Global Labs Vice President Morris revealed.
The research facility, which will be operational by September, will allow for the completion of basic and applied research focused on solving problems relevant to Africa, while contributing to the building of a science and technology base for the continent.
Although the lab will be located at CUEA, IBM will work with researchers from other Kenyan universities including University of Nairobi, Strathmore and JKUAT.
The IBM lab will focus on solutions that create smarter cities especially in the area of water and transportation. The Africa lab will also help elevate the level of ICT and related scientific skills in Kenya by working in collaboration with select universities.
“IBM continues to expand its operations in key growth markets and we plan to lead the way by bringing Africa into our global network of IBM Research laboratories,” said Dr. John E. Kelly III, IBM senior vice president and director of IBM Research.
“We plan to work closely with leading African scientists and engineers from academia, government and industry to address some of their most pressing challenges and greatest opportunities.”
Operations at IBM Research – Africa will commence immediately. Expansion into other parts of Africa may be considered in a second phase.