Konza Technopolis, Kenya’s largest technology hub, on Tuesday announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Electronic Association (KEA) for the establishment of a $1.4 million Electronics Manufacturing Support Center,
The deal will see 17 globally renowned Korean IT and electronic companies set up operations in Konza City.
“This MOU heralds a new dawn as we enter the next phase of business development, where we are now inviting investors to set up their shops. This is a testament to our take off as we expect substantial investment by Korean companies in the electronics and IT ecosystem in our light industry band,” noted Konza CEO John Paul Okwiri.
Chungown Park, President and CEO of KEA indicated that the newly established Konza Electronics Manufacturing Support Center would contribute to the local manufacturing of IT and electronic products, utilities, equipment, and operational systems.
The Center will also lead to the training and skill development of local human resources and offer technical support, prototype development, and support to institutions, startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and Korean firms entering the African market.
Established in 1976, KEA brings together more than 370 major Korean-based IT and electronics companies, such as Samsung and LG Electronics. Some 17 tech firms have already expressed intentions to set up operations at the support center.
The Electronics Manufacturing Support Center will be undertaken in four phases: business planning, training and skill development, equipment settings, and production. The team expects the project to take between 2-3 years.
The expected outcome includes the establishment of at least 10 prototype equipment and an electronics manufacturing support platform. In addition, the project offers technological support services, including design-manufacturing support for 30 cases annually, electronic board production of 20,000 units annually, and manufacturing support for 100 cases per year.
Moreover, the Center will support product launches of at least 30 products per year with a reduced average production period of 6 months while aiming to train 100 people and support over 100 businesses.
17 firms
The 17 Korean firms that have shown interest in setting up operations at Konza include;
- xVic – portable golf aiming guide
- Beaunex – facial mask
- Atech Net – holographic imaging devices
- Dooni Corp – sound effectors
- Illumino – UV LED portable counterfeit detectors
- Rollingseeds – UX game consoles
- Goonies = smart edutainment decisions
- Share & Share – smart doorlocks
- Sonic Dutch Korea – coffee extractors
- Maete – AI fuctional memory foam pillows
- Gateways – indoor fitness gaming devices
- Boomengine – smart flower pots
- AwesomeAB – eco-friendly portable water warmers
- Worldhumantec – portable self-defense devices
- Gkkelab – self-temperature controlling heat gloves
- Honey IT – ELF sleep care devices
- Borea – detachable air sterilizer for vehicles
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