Konza Technopolis, Kenya’s emerging tech hub, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Korea Electronic Association (KEA) for the establishment of a $1,400,000 (Ksh180 million) electronic and information technology manufacturing support centre, where Korean tech companies will set up operations.
“This MoU heralds a new dawn for Konza Technopolis as we enter the next phase of development whereby Korean electronic companies, through their association, will establish a manufacturing support centre enabling the various Korean companies to produce their products locally,” Mr John Paul Okwiri, the CEO of Konza Technopolis, said during the signing ceremony.
The Korea Electronic Association, established in 1976, brings together more than 370 of Korea’s major electronics and information technology companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, research institutions and academia. Some 17 technology companies have already lined up to set operations at the planned support centre.
“We intend to establish an electronic manufacturing support centre in Konza Technopolis, capable of production of electronic products, development of appropriate and skilled workforce and provision of technical support, prototype development production assistance to research institutions, startups, SMEs and Korean companies entering the African market,” Chungwon Park PhD, Chief Executive Officer and President of KEA, said during the signing ceremony.
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The KoTDA Electronics Manufacturing Support Centre will be developed in four phases which will include business planning, training in electronics manufacturing and product development phase, setting up of manufacturing equipment and operational systems and expanding operations and enterprise support systems. “We expect this project to take between two to three years, with Korean companies starting their operations locally,” Mr Okwiri said.
The expected outcome will include the setting up of at least 10 prototype equipment, electronics manufacturing support platform. Technological support services will include manufacturing support for 100 cases per year, design-manufacturing support for 30 cases per year and electronic board production of 20,000 cases per year.
In addition, the centre will support product launch targeting 30 products per year with a reduced average production period of six months, while targeting to train 100 people and support over 100 businesses.
The Korean companies targeting to set up include xVic, which produces portable golf aiming guide; Beaunex, producers of facial mask; Atech Net, makers of holographic imaging devices; Dooni Corp makers of sound effectors; Illumino makers of UV LED portable counterfeit detectors; Rollingseeds, makers of simpe UX game consoles as well as Share & Share, producers of smart doorlocks; Goonies which manufactures smart edutainment devices and Sonic Dutch Korea, the manufacturers of coffee extractors.
Other companies include Maete, makers of AI functional memory foam pillows; Gateways which produces indoor fitness gaming devices; Boomengine makers of smart flower pots; AWESOMEAB makers of Eco-friendly portable water warmers; Worldhumantec, producers of personal portable self-defence devices; Gkkelab which makes self-temperature controlling heat gloves; Honey IT manufacturing ELF sleep care devices and BOREA making detachable air steriliser for vehicles.
“Our key focus is to build business-friendly cooperation, assist local innovators and entrepreneurs accelerate adoption of AI in their production processes, secure for them the global supply chain and create a healthy ecosystem for ICT industries,” Park said.
Konza Technopolis is a key flagship project of Kenya’s Vision 2030 economic development blue print that aims to transform Kenya into a middle-income country. It’s tasked with developing a thriving sustainable smart city and a vibrant innovation ecosystem contributing to Kenya’s knowledge economy and transformation of Kenya into a digitally driven economy.
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“Konza Technopolis has a light manufacturing band which targets to host light manufacturing businesses such as electronic and IT manufacturing and today we are happy to invite Korean electronic and IT companies, which are world class and cutting-edge technology and products to set up their operations here,” Okwiri said.
Konza Technopolis has been a major beneficiary of Korean funded projects which include the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Ke-AIST) modelled after the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and set to open early next year for post graduate studies in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Similarly, the Konza Media City project received Ksh38 billion during the recently held Korea-Africa Summit in June.
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