Kigali Innovation City

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Kigali Innovation City (KIC) is being developed to be a mixed-use, master-planned, innovation city to be situated on 60 hectares of land in Kigali, Rwanda. KIC will seek to facilitate the development of pan-African talent and act as a technology innovation hub. Its plan includes four universities, office spaces, and start-up business incubators, alongside supporting facilities for retail, hospitality and accommodation. Kigali Innovation City is a growing tech hub home to CMU-Africa, large corporations, and technology companies. Its goal is to drive Rwanda’s economic growth through digital transformation . [1] The Government of Rwanda hopes to attract both domestic and foreign universities, technology companies and biotech firms, and have commercial and retail real estate. [2] [3] [4] It is intended to be built on 70 hectares of land [2] in Kigali's Special Economic Zone in Gasabo District. [5] [6]

Kigali Innovation City is part of the Government of Rwanda's Vision 2020 program [5] and a public–private partnership between the Government and Africa50. [7] [8] Africa50, an infrastructure investment platform founded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and African states, is a co-sponsor and partner that will help develop and finance the project. [5]

Kigali Innovation City has been compared to the planned Konza Technology City in Kenya, announced in 2008, [4] [8] [9] [10] and a planned technology cluster in Ghana, announced in 2013. [4] [8]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Kigali Innovation City set to lead Rwanda and Africa's digital transformation". gov.rw. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  2. 1 2 "Africa50 signs agreement to help develop Kigali Innovation City in Rwanda - IOL Business Report". Independent Online (South Africa) .
  3. ↑ University, Carnegie Mellon. "Fueling the Digital Economy in Africa". Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rwanda starts construction of Africa's very own Silicon Valley in Kigali". Face2Face Africa . 14 November 2018. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
  5. 1 2 3 Bizimungu, Julius (9 November 2018). "Kigali Innovation City gets boost from Africa50". The New Times (Rwanda) .[ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ "After Africa's Silicon Valley, Rwanda to start building $5 billion Green City in 2020". Face2Face Africa . 20 May 2019.
  7. ↑ Bizimungu, Julius (12 November 2018). "Africa50 to spend $400m on Kigali Innovation City". The New Times (Rwanda) .
  8. 1 2 3 "Africa's first 'Silicon Valley' to be built in Rwanda". Anadolu Agency . Retrieved 2019-05-26.
  9. ↑ Makena, Joy (18 January 2019). "Doubts over Konza City project grow as work stalls".
  10. ↑ "Why Kenya's Konza technocity failed to take off - Daily Nation". Daily Nation .
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