'Engineering inclusive economies'
Format: in-person | Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Date: 12 to 14 October 2022
Despite optimism about the role of technology to support inclusive economic growth that leaves no one behind, examples of success are fragmented and much of the potential remains unrealised. Emerging technologies for digital and financial inclusion hold the promise of reaching remote and marginalised communities, and have the power to be multipliers of growth and to tackle challenges like unemployment and inequality of access, but only if they are developed with principles of inclusion and the needs of communities at their heart.
This event looked at how to halt that gap, with themes including economic infrastructure and services in LMICs, technology to support inclusive job markets with sustainable and diverse incomes, and tools that support economic inclusion for underrepresented groups, such as young people and women.
The Engineering Inclusive Economies symposium will scope out those challenges and new opportunities, and explore this within the context of the sub-themes:
- Inclusive economic infrastructure and financial services: eg fintech, financial inclusion
- Technology-driven jobs and capacity building: eg resources to make incomes more sustainable, community development, jobs for young people and women.
- The way forward: Technology for an inclusive and sustainable society: eg democratising technology, human-centred technology, sustainable growth.
Each theme will be explored from a research, policy and industry perspective, facilitating dialogue from a wide range of disciplines.
Event Chairs
Dr Mike Short CBE, after 30 years in telecommunications with Telefonica, joined the Department for International Trade (DIT) as the Department’s first Chief Scientific Adviser in December 2017. Mike leads the Science and Engineering profession in the Department and ensures its policy is informed by the best science, engineering and technical advice. He advises DIT on the technical aspects of international trade deals, supports inward investment and engineering collaboration, and works with the UK’s research, innovation and academic communities to boost scientific and engineering exports.
Mike’s interests related to the promotion of international technical standards in mobile and digital technology. He has led the development and collaborations in areas such as smart cities, digital healthcare, cybersecurity and driverless vehicles as a current Visiting Professor at the Universities of Surrey, Coventry, Leeds and Salford. Based on his over 40 years’ experience in electronics and telecommunications and served as Vice President of Telefonica, he was honoured with a CBE in 2012 for his services to the mobile industry.
Dr Joyce Mwangama joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Cape Town as a lecturer (now a senior lecturer) in 2015, and she completed her PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2017 at the same institution. She lectures on a variety of courses including Network Engineering, Mobile Broadband and Wireless Networks. Her research interests include 5G/6G network architectures and services, digital health and telemedicine. Joyce advises the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa 5G Forum on the research and development of 5G/6G.
Joyce has received multiple research awards, including the Google Anita Borg Scholarship and the L’Oréal-UNESCO Sub-Saharan Women in Science Fellowship. She has previously served as a member of the IEEE MGA Women in Engineering Committee (2015-2017) and the IEEE Region 8 Women in Engineering Coordinator (2013-2014). Recently She was the IEEE AFRICON 2021 chair of the Technical Program Committee and chair of the Publications Committee for the conference.
Symposium Format
The symposium took place from Wednesday 12 October to Friday 14 October in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with participants arriving on the evening of 11 October for a welcome dinner and networking event. At the core of the event is three cross-cutting, challenge-led sessions that will bridge the different disciplines represented.
Post-event funding
Seed funding of up to £20,000 over one year will be awarded to successful collaboration bids from the symposia, led by a UK researcher and designed to strengthen collaborations developed at the symposia. Please see the Seed funding guidance note to learn more about how to apply for Seed funding. Check out the timeline of the application process:
Following the event, the Academy award seed funding to new collaborative groups established at the event. For more information about these projects, visit the seed funding page.
More information
This event is ended and we are working on outcomes to highlight lessons from the symposium as a policy brief and post-event report. Please keep an eye on Resources to check future outcomes.