TIV’s COO, Ravi Gupta, was invited to participate in the Thirds Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III) High-Level Breakfast meeting at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York City. The event, organized by UNIDO, was centered on “Promoting innovation and infrastructure development: A pathway for boosting manufacturing in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Due to TIV’s expertise in venture capital and innovation ecosystems and its work on the flagship report for AfDB on “Unlocking the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa,” TIV was asked to contribute to solutions towards the event’s major objectives to foster Africa’s industrial development. Mr. Gupta was joined by a notable cast of the world’s highest industrial development stakeholders, including Mr. Li Yong, General Director of UNIDO, Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, and Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at ITU, and multiple African Heads of State and Government.
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The event culminated in multiple milestones, including agreements toward near-term action items which can bolster Africa’s industrial complex in the imminent future. For example, a consensus was reached on investing in physical and digital infrastructure – especially in health, agribusiness, education, water and sanitation – to fully unlock Africa’s potential. Moreover, the role of developing human capital was emphasized by all speakers, including drafting initiatives towards cultivating skills in STEM fields to promote technological advancements.