The centre's core business is to promote research and development of ICTs, and its research findings will be shared with other African countries in the continent.
According Algeria's minister of territory and structuring, Mr Cherif Rahmani, 9 hectares of land have set aside for the centre and its master plan will be ready by the end of 2007. Meanwhile, South Korea's minister of industry and trade, Mr Suk-Woo Hong declared his country's commitment in implementing Algeria's ICT strategy and sustaining thereafter.
Relations between the two countries have been flourishing in several areas and South Korea is well respected for its high level of expertise and development, notably in computing and advanced technologies, reckoned Rahmani.
Rahmani also recalled South Korea?s economic woes in the 1990s with a debt that soared to 50 billion US dollars. But today South Korea has a positive economy with an average growth rate of 5,5% , with low unemployment levels estimated at 3,2% and is ranked the 11th economic puissance in the world.
"What is more", adds Algerian minister, "South Korea is the country of LCD TV screens, mobile telephones, GPS and it is the recipient of 150,000 inventions certificates, behind Japan, USA and China but well before Germany, UK and France."
Furthermore, South Korea plays a leading role worldwide in the fields of Internet access systems, broadband technology and e-governance. "And through a strategic partnership with South Korea, Algeria will surely benefit immensely and enable it to have easy access to most innovative and advanced technologies," said Rahmani.
The project is expected to lead to new jobs for new graduates and enhance the establishment of more ICT micro-enterprises and be a host to research and development initiatives of public and private companies.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Laeed Zaghlami
Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 07.12.2007
