First-in-Africa technology arrives in East Africa to plug information and knowledge gaps for the construction, architectural and engineering sectors
Investors and governments from across the globe are pouring billions of dollars into construction projects in Africa. East Africa, in particular, has witnessed exceptional growth in the construction sector, particularly around the development of new houses, multi-story buildings, roads and bridges. The region is now responsible for more than 25% of all major infrastructure projects on the continent.
Rising demand for infrastructure development and efficient service delivery has also increased cement consumption across the region and this trend is further demonstrated by cement sales rising 10% in Kenya and more than 33% in Tanzania this year alone.
However, the current East African infrastructure gap still requires quality, affordable building materials and enhanced technical skills to meet the needs of specialised construction and mega-project specifications in the realms of architecture, construction, engineering and concrete technology to realise the full economic potential of the region. There is a great need for more practical knowledge on the latest world class technologies and how to incorporate these into local construction practices as well as a current shortage of qualified technical specialists in the region.In Kenya, for example, there are 6100 registered professional engineers in operation but the scale of current construction projects underway demand the services of more than 20 000 engineers to complete projects on budget and on time.
Strategic initiatives and fresh approaches to develop construction and engineering skills are now more critical than ever and governments across the continent are emphasizing this by incorporating skills development into national planning. In addition, East African governments have earmarked private sector collaboration and regional training platforms as key to closing the skills and infrastructure gap. While larger organisations in the region are able to introduce training programmes to address some of these skill issues, smaller companies tend to lack the necessary resources to access capacity building and development for their teams.
This year regional public and private sector collaboration is reaffirmed with unprecedented support from government and private sector alike for Totally Concrete East Africa, the region’s premiere technical training platform for the cement, concrete and construction industries.
In support of advancing cement and concrete technology for the development of East Africa’s built environment, Hypenica hosts the inaugural Totally Concrete East Africa conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 28 – 30 October 2014.
Totally Concrete East Africa will showcase first-in-Africa technologies and trends for the local cement, concrete and construction industries by giving the region’s foremost users of cement and concrete practical insight on how to increase sustainability of structures with value-added techniques for service life extension and quality control.
The event is a timely endeavor designed by the African industry to provide both businesses and governments with an opportunity to work together and plug the skills gap.
Attendees will get first-hand access to world renowned experts from South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, The Netherlands, Germany, Ethiopia, Rwanda and learn about the latest trends driving the industry. Dr. Dipl. Ing. Wolfram Schmidt, Researcher at Germany’s BAM Federal Institute for Materials Testing and Research says of the event, “I really like the African way of dealing with concrete issues. I like the respectful and constructive way that different stakeholder parties interact, and Totally Concrete’s role therein.”
Visit www.totally-concrete.com/east to learn more. Note that special rates for Kenya Engineer readers have been negotiated, contact: tamsin.collins@hypenica.com