Nairobi to host state-of-art solution lab

Last Updated 14 years ago by Kenya Engineer

International Business Machines (IBM) and President Kibaki signed a memorandum of understanding to formally establish a research lab in Nairobi. The facility, first of its kind in Africa, will seek to develop technology-assisted solutions to the problems of Africa’s fast-growing cities

The state of art Nairobi lab is intended to be a hub for nurturing home-grown skills. IBM plans to build the lab up to 50 researchers within five years. In addition, it will be the center for a “resident scientist program,” which will bring in researchers from Nairobi and elsewhere in Africa to collaborate with IBM scientists.

The lab is seen as a step toward reversing the tradition of bright young Africans’ departing for the West, in search of advanced education and jobs. It will take-in candidates from universities, government or industry, typically for one-year stints.

It is set to be up before end of this year bringing the number of IBM research labs worldwide to 12.It will seek to develop technology-assisted solutions to the problems of Africa’s fast-growing cities.

Kenya will be the fourth nation where IBM has opened a research outpost in the last two years, after Ireland, Australia and Brazil. In 2006, IBM had offices in four African nations — South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Today, the company has operations in more than 20 African countries.