2nd Free State Industry 4.0 Summit: Accelerating economic growth and development of the Free State through innovative 4IR technologies
Accelerating Economic Growth and Development of The Free State Province Through Innovative 4IR Technologies for Eradicating Poverty and Unemployment" is the focus of the second Free State Industry 4.0 Summit from 21 to 22 July 2022.
Hosted by the Free State Provincial Government (FSPG) in collaboration with the Central University of Technology at the Bloemfontein Campus, the summit will seek to consolidate the gains of the previous summit, particularly considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the province's socioeconomic fabric.
The two-day event will showcase various 4IR-related technologies and investment opportunities in the province, enabling an interactive platform for multiple stakeholders, particularly youth, to engage with 4IR-solution providers and other service providers operating in the sector.
In the 2022 Office of the Premier Budget Vote Speech, Premier Sisi Ntombela said, "In this age of the knowledge economy, ICT is a catalyst for growth and development. In government, ICT enhances efficiency, transparency, accountability, and innovation for improved service delivery." " With an ailing economy and the youth unemployment rate at an old-time high, the advent of the 4IR presents us with a wonderful opportunity to transform and restore confidence in the economic prospects of our province.
Following the successfully hosting of the inaugural 4IR summit in 2019, the Free State has implemented initiatives such as:
- The Free State Artificial Intelligence University, together with CUT and Microsoft SA
- The Botshabelo Digital Hub with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA)
- Introduction to 4IR training that focused on lower-level Government workers such as cleaners and security personnel with the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA)and CUT
- Data-driven, State-of-the-Art COVID-19 War Room with University of the Free State (UFS) and Vodacom
"People should not be afraid of change but rather equip themselves with the 4IR skill set that will keep them relevant in their workspace. The first, second and third revolutions were focused on the humanization of physical labour. At the same time, machines do the work, while the fourth involves dehumanizing intellectual labour where machines think. The world is moving towards an era of artificial intelligence and the public sector, institutions of Higher Learning and Corporate giants, are coming together and collaborating to stay relevant with the times," said Prof Alfred Ngowi, acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal.
The objectives of the 2nd Free State 4th Industrial Revolution Summit will be to:
- Showcase various 4IR-related technologies and investment opportunities in the province.
- Enable an interactive platform for various stakeholders, particularly youth in the province, to engage with 4IR-solution providers and other service providers operating in the province
- Demonstrate how 4IR technologies can be deployed to enhance a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth.
Enhanced collaboration between various stakeholders is critical to enable effective identification and subsequent deployment of 4IR technologies across the Free State to unlock associated benefits. For further information, please visit: https://www.cut.ac.za/events/2nd-fs-4ir-summit.
For media enquiries contact:
Me Palesa Chubisi: 078 543 0299
Mr Sello Peterson: 072 682 0202
Mr Dan Maritz :072 588 8282
