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President Paul Kagame launches centre for the fourth industrial revolution in Kigali, RWANDA
Kigali, Thursday 31 March 2022 – "In Rwanda, and all over the world, emerging technologies have driven innovations to contain the Covid pandemic and mitigate its impact on livelihoods.” President Kagame, during the launch of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), under the theme “Shaping the Future of Technology Governance in Africa.”
Leading in Africa
Established in 2020, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Rwanda (C4IR) is the first of its kind in Africa. It's part of a global network of 16 centres, working to promote emerging technologies that can empower global change.
C4IR Rwanda focuses primarily on artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data governance. It partners with stakeholders around the world to design and implement new approaches to technology governance while creating a conducive environment for innovation and investment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, who joined the ceremony through video, highlighted the importance of Africa taking the lead in shaping the future of technology governance: “I have no doubt that the center will herald a new era for Rwanda and the continent. Innovation and entrepreneurship are key in heralding the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The work of our 4IR Centers has always been important, but in this time of great global upheaval it is more crucial than ever to build together a better future and use technology to do so.”
Current projects
“C4IR Rwanda plays a leading role in developing Rwanda's landmark data protection and privacy legislation and co-designing its national AI policy.”
One example of such collaboration is the integration of the Chatbots RESET framework developed by the World Economic Forum. The Rwanda AI Triage pilot, led by global healthcare company Babylon, has adopted the framework to handle over 4,000 daily medical consultations through its call centers. This enables nurses to work more efficiently and make quicker decisions for their patients by asking the right questions, collecting necessary information about a patient’s symptoms, and providing them with insights to help them choose the correct triage path. Integrating AI-powered triage tools into this service has been a critical step in digitizing the national healthcare system.