By ZBC Reporter
GOVERNMENT has commissioned an Information Communication Technology device manufacturing factory which dovetails with the ongoing innovation, science and technology development thrust as envisaged in Vision 2030
Officially launching the National ICT device factory, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the establishment of this factory is a result of the collaborative efforts of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies in pursuit of transforming our country into a knowledge and technology-driven society.
“As you will recall, this is my second visit to this factory, after coming to assess progress in January 2020. It is most commendable that the factory has been completed and is now churning out state of the art desktops, laptops, tablets and other ICT devices.
“These products will enable the modernisation and automation of our systems to propel the national development priorities outlined in the national development strategy 1.
“The completion of this factory, despite the CIOVID-19 pandemic, is yet another example of the determination, focus and commitment, by my administration to produce tangible, high impact projects, within defined time frames,” he said.
President Mnangagwa acknowledged work-ethic among government officials towards Vision 2030.
“It is noteworthy that the cooperation between and across government entities, under the Whole-of-Government Approach, is fast gaining traction and bearing desired results. This new work ethic and culture of the Second Republic, which is characterised by unity of purpose, hard honest work and dedication, will undoubtedly have a positive impact to the speedy achievement of our national development aspirations as envisaged in Vision 2030.
“My government is grateful for the technical assistance we received from the People’s Republic of China, through the Inspur Group, without which, the establishment of this factory would not have been possible. The facilitation and requisite approvals by our partners in China also enabled the setting up of a production line and the subsequent establishment of a Joint Venture Company, the Zimbabwe Information Technology Company (ZITCO)
“The National ICT Device Factory dovetails with the government’s ongoing innovation, science and technology development thrust and proves that ICT devices can indeed be produced locally. The facility will further help promote technology transfer, foster human capital development, enhance import substitutions and create robust platforms upon which innovations and designs can be commercialized. Hence, the potential of manufacturing similar ICT equipment and components must be fully explored and exploited mindful, however, of the need to adhere to protocols and requirements relating to intellectual property rights,” he said.
President challenged stakeholders in the sector to be more proactive by pursuing strategies, projects and programmes that will see Zimbabwe evolving into an ICT manufacturing hub for a broad array of more complex components such as semi-conductors and computers chips, among others.
“The local production of hardware triggers demand for the development of complementary software packages. We must, therefore, intensify our national efforts to develop software, riding on the abundant intellectual capacity available in the country.
“Such initiatives will promote broad-based and inclusive empowerment of our communities, particularly the youth. The innovation hubs and industrial parks in institutions of higher learning are therefore encouraged to speedily develop appropriate solutions and applications towards the growth of a big data economy, in tandem with the expectations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said.
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