Telecom Egypt CEO positive about WE INNOVATE’s impact on Egypt’s cybersecurity ecosystem
Date: 2025-12-09
By: Robert Annor
The
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt, Tamer El Mahdi,
has expressed optimism about the growth and impact of the WE INNOVATE program,
describing it as a key driver in shaping Egypt’s cybersecurity ecosystem since
its launch three years ago.
Mr.
El Mahdi noted that the initiative, which began as an effort to identify and
empower cybersecurity talent, has evolved into a national platform that
transforms innovative ideas into market-ready products, startups, and practical
solutions with measurable impact. He said WE INNOVATE now serves as an
integrated pipeline linking universities, engineers, researchers, startups, and
government entities, from talent discovery and training through incubation,
testing, and deployment across Telecom Egypt’s networks.
According
to him, the program has strengthened Egypt’s technological readiness and
supports the country’s long-term digital strategy by fostering local innovation
and reducing reliance on imported technologies. Over the past three years, WE
INNOVATE has engaged more than 5,000 young talents, graduated over 1,000
cybersecurity specialists, and supported the launch of more than 20 startups
that have gained regional and international recognition.
He
also underscored the importance of collaboration with partners, particularly
DIGITOPIA, in expanding opportunities for young innovators to scale their ideas
beyond the competition stage. El Mahdi further acknowledged the role of
national institutions such as the National Telecommunications Regulatory
Authority and EG-CERT, whose financial and technical support has been
instrumental in nurturing emerging cybersecurity companies.
El
Mahdi concluded that while significant progress has been made, the WE INNOVATE
journey is still at an early stage, with greater opportunities ahead to build a
more secure, capable, and competitive digital Egypt.
