Following the appointment of an eight (8) member Namibia Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Task Force by the President Hage Geingob, on 01 July 2021 for a twelve month period, the 4IR Task Force and other stakeholders will host the first Namibia 4th Industrial Revolution Conference and Expo on 7-8 June 2022.
The conference will take place at the Safari Court and Conference Centre in Windhoek, under the theme “4IR as an enabler of green and inclusive industrialization.”
Set out under the economic advancement pillar of the Harambee Prosperity Plan II, the Task Force is tasked with conducting a country assessment on the readiness of Namibia for the 4IR and making recommendations towards a coherent policy and legislative framework.
The Conference, which will be officially opened by President Geingob, is expected to host invited local, regional and international delegates.
The official opening on 08 June 2022 will be preceded by an exposition on 07 June 2022, which will be open to the public from 10h00 to 17h00.
The Expo will showcase emerging technologies from various sectors while providing a networking and public education platform. The Conference will be hybrid nature (Physical and Virtual).
Geingob appointed the pro-vice chancellor of research, innovation and development at the University of Namibia (Unam), Prof. Anicia Peters (she/her) as the chairperson of the task force.
The other members include Unam vice chancellor Prof Kenneth Kamwi Matengu and Namibia University of Science and Technology vice chancellor Erold Naomab; Grace Hamauka, senior economist with the Bank of Namibia; Dino Ballotti Balloti, SME development manager at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board; Nashilongo Gervasius, former president of the Internet Society of Namibia; the University of Johannesburg’s vice chancellor, professor Tshilidzi Marwala; and Martyn Davies, managing director at Deloitte, Africa and Emerging Markets.