Egypt’s technology sector needs to help startups move beyond using artificial intelligence tools and build products that solve real problems, ITIDA CEO Ahmed El-Zaher said at the opening of Techne Summit Alexandria 2026.
El-Zaher said AI is lowering the resources needed to develop software, products and services, but competition is increasing. He identified specialized data, sector expertise, customer relationships and a strong understanding of local needs as factors that can make startups’ products more valuable and difficult to replace.
He outlined four priorities for supporting startups: knowledge and skills, access to research and development resources, opportunities to test solutions in real-world settings, and the ability to scale. These include access to computing capacity, cloud services, technical expertise and first customers that can provide market feedback.
El-Zaher also announced that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is preparing an AI competition with one of the ministries, focused on practical challenges.
He said the efforts align with Egypt’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030, whose second phase targets the creation of 250 AI-based startups by 2030. He also highlighted ITIDA programs including Creativa Innovation Hubs, Venture Ready, and partnerships with Plug and Play and 500 Global.
ITIDA is participating in the summit with a pavilion featuring 10 startups across areas including cybersecurity, edtech, fintech, healthtech, AI, deep tech and electric mobility.
Source: EntArabi
