State of the ICT Sector (SOTIS)

In the light of the state of the nation address, we at the Hope First Group have come up with what we are
calling the State of the ICT Sector. The advantage that we have as a nation is that the Budget has just been
read as has the State of the Nation Address. If we were to summarise the state of the ICT sector as it stands now, we would say that it is HOPEFUL. So this is really two response or one articles in one. It is written in time
with the standard practice of the Intersection Magazine-which will be to release budget related material in the
season of Financials. When we last wrote we paid attention to the numbers and the idea that the amounts that were devoted to the sector would probably be great indicators of what direction steps we would need to take as a sector for progress.

The same ideas still stand. ICT is a great sector to be involved in because it cut across all sectors and can find itself benefiting indirectly from the monies that are released for others. This is why in one regard the move to computerize will be a positive development as it the presence of good computing skills.

The second idea that will drive the development of this sector is the idea that we are currently going through a wave of Innovation. This is only one aspect that drives business but its centrality and the dawn of the information age means that those with mobile and computing knowledge are finding themselves at the cutting edge of key innovation developments. So we suggest that those who are working in ICT also look closely to other sectors and find a way of harmonizing their developments with say Agricultural Sector, Health Sector and Education. These harmonies can be found on the local level but also on the global level with UN projects such as Development Goals that are designed to simplify global challenges by making them accessible on the local level.

One way in which the sector will benefit was reflected in a visit that i undertook to our local Historic Industrial Area.

In my search for co-working spaces we stumbled upon Design Hub Kampala. Seated comfortably on a large piece
of land and hosting over twenty businesses and start-ups in a vast open two thousand square meter space. Probably comparable in size to the Innovation Village but
standing out most notably by strategic location. Interviews with some of the experts in the area revealed that
this is just one of the many groups that is moving in to traditionally 'manufacturing industry zones and spaces'.
Others are the Square (Home of the transformational international transport giant Uber in Uganda) which is also providing space but also notably focusing a lot on the fashion industry. As well as
Studios on Seventh .

And why does this matter? Well traditional spaces that were designed mainly for industry and being transformed into
working spaces and specialized zones of industry and moving. In addition to this businesses are moving to places where
they can be more effective (with possibilities of lower rent costs and utilities). Innovation is also taking centre stage
and going where it is needed most.

As was the case in the year that past in our study of the ICT sector we noted that the most prominent group in
Uganda's ICT sector would be NITA-the group which was tasked with ICT Infrastructure related projects. This is still the
case in this year. The focus for this groups will be toward Certifications and Standards. We saw one positive
outcome and experiment with some attempts to roll out Wifi in key parts of the City. Most of the resistance
came when users were asked to register in order to use this service. The challenge for government in the shadow of the
elections of that year were related to trust, freedom and privacy. Naturally advocates of information freedom had
a filed day.

So on the whole we see good developments. But one should not have to search too hard for these kinds of moves.
This should be the norm rather than the exception. Partnerships with global behemoths are on the rise Google,
Facebook and others. This must be matched by local groups and businesses as well as government to create
 an environment that can promote the flow of skills from young people.