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Making AI Work for Africa: Why Google Must Go Local with its New Research Center in Ghana
In June, Google announced that it would open an Artificial Intelligence (AI) research center in Accra, Ghana later this year – one more sign of Africa’s vast untapped potential for AI innovation. But since developing countries will be hit hardest by manufacturing job losses caused by AI-fueled automation, Google must avoid “merely creating an African outpost for its pre-existing research efforts,” says Ghanaian entrepreneur Timothy Kotin. He explores the transformation impact that companies like Google could make if they invest in regional talent to develop locally relevant AI solutions.
- Categories
- Technology
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For Agritech, Digital Health Startups, Enormous Opportunities In Africa and India
Startups around the world should begin looking more seriously at emerging markets for their growth plans. This isn’t just about impact and making the world a better place, this makes really good business sense.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Tags
- agtech, manufacturing, startups
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Samsung goes big in India with ‘world’s largest mobile factory’
Samsung India CEO HC Hong described the factory as a "symbol of Samsung's strong commitment to India and a shining example of the success of the government's 'Make in India' program."
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- manufacturing
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Hobbyist Makers vs. Global Manufacturers: Is 3D Printing Really the Solution to the Prosthetics Gap?
Be they startups or tinkerers, 3D printing innovators are trying to fill in the gaps in traditional health care, particularly in resource-constricted countries where prosthetic devices are scarce. For those who struggle through life without a limb, 3D printing offers hope. But are hobbyist makers and their 3D printers really the stopgap the limb-loss community needs? Certified prosthetist Jason Bender wades into the debate.
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- Health Care, Technology
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Even Africa’s poorest countries are too expensive to be the world’s next manufacturing hub
In a bid to find out if African countries can “break into global manufacturing in a substantial way”, the researchers found factories in Africa were almost always more expensive to start and run. Looking at overall costs, small African firms were 39% more expensive than comparative firms elsewhere while medium and large firms were around 50% more expensive.
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- Investing, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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A new mindset for the SDGs? Top takeaways from Singularity University’s Global Summit
Singularity University faculty explain how exponentially growing technologies — such as artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing and synthetic biology — will enable us to make dramatic gains in the years ahead.
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- Technology
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IKEA aims to take 200,000 people out of poverty in massive social sustainability drive
IKEA is to open production centres in refugee camps in Jordan this summer as part of a long-term plan to create employment for 200,000 disadvantaged people around the world through social entrepreneurship programmes.
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- Technology
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
- Tags
- employment, manufacturing, refugees
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With New Partner, Wello Rolling Down ‘the Fastest Path to Scale’
Social enterprise Wello today announced it will license sales and manufacturing of its main product, the WaterWheel, to Mumbai-based Nilkamal Limited in India and Sri Lanka. The publicly traded Nilkamal is one of Asia's manufacturers and sellers of injection mold plastic furniture and other plastic home goods. We hear from Cynthia Koenig, founder and CEO of Wello, about what the deal means not only for the for-profit company, but also for other social enterprises facing the perennial struggle of scaling their products.
- Categories
- Environment, Social Enterprise
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