IBM Innovation Center Opens in Kenya

IBM Country General Manager for East Africa Tony Mwai demonstrates a visualization of the city's traffic patterns to Jessica Colaco, Managing Director iHub, a Kenyan startup incubator at the opening of the IBM Client and Innovation Center for East Africa, in Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday May 8, 2013. The Smarter Cities technology, part of the IBM Intelligent Operations Center, is integral to the center's efforts to help the region's IT businesses, developers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and academics drive innovation and growth. (Dai Kurokawa/Feature Photo Service for IBM)

IBM has opened its first East Africa launched innovation centre in Nairobi, Kenya where clients could meet with experts to access knowledge, expertise and innovation.

 the center will help fuel growth and innovation in the region, providing IT partners, developers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and academics .

The innovation centre focuses on new technologies and approaches to modernising East Africa’s systems-transportation, water and public safety and make them smarter. It is co-located with a new IBM Client Center that brings IBM's expertise to clients in the region.

According to Tony Mwai, country general manager at IBM East Africa, the centre is to build the solutions and skills needed to succeed which will enable clients, business partners, entrepreneurs, academia and IT professionals to walk in and discuss their innovation plans with access to the latest enterprise software and hardware, training and business and marketing support.

“The centre will help IBM understand the region’s opportunities and the best path to success,”  Mwai said.

"Technology is playing a critical role in building stronger Kenyan and East African economies," said Mugo Kibati, chief executive officer, Kenya Vision 2030.  "IBM is an essential partner in helping us create a vibrant network of highly-skilled individuals and businesses, who are driving innovation for Africa and the world."

Nairobi is also home to IBM's first Research Lab in Africa which is driving a program of Pan-African research designed to help solve some of the continent's biggest challenges such as urbanization, next generation public sector and human capacity development.