CONTEXT
Digital can increase safety, reliability, profitability and the customer experience.
Why hold this Congress in Africa?
- Because UIC is convinced that there is a real opportunity to develop rail in Africa,
- Because rail must become (or become again) the backbone of land-based mobility, for both passengers and goods. This is an obvious necessity if we are to adapt to climate change.
Digitization will offer African economies an important means of making considerable progress, both in industry and in services. New technologies will provide innovative solutions for the development of railways, which combine both industry and services.
The African Union (AU) has adopted “Agenda 2063” for rail development in Africa. Africa’s Integrated Rail Network is a flagship project of Agenda 2063, which aims to integrate Africa physically and economically.
After the 1st African Digital Railway Summit in Cape Town, “Africa: the future digital continent” in 2019, the UIC organized the 2nd African Digital Railway Congress, “Accelerating digital transformation in Africa: what challenges for rail?”, in Tunis in 2022.
Digital is a revolution, a challenge for the railway value chain.
Digital can increase safety, reliability, profitability and customer experience.
This congress will:
- define the future of digital rail for the Continent;
- bring together rail stakeholders, politicians, industry representatives, rail experts, economists, universities, and digital ecosystems;
- identify major projects to be launched;
- support the coordination of activities aligned with the aspirations of the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Agenda 2063 for the rail sector;
- encourage the design and development of a truly African digital rail strategy;
- define the level of maturity of digital rail in Africa.
CONCEPT NOTE
MAIN TOPICS
- Analysis of traffic data for the automatic proposal of optimal transport plans
- Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve safety, train monitoring, predictive maintenance and asset management
- Digital training for skills development in the railway professions
- Barriers to digital development in Africa
PROGRAMME
26 May 2024: Arrival for the technical visit in DOUALA
27 May 2024 morning: Technical visit in DOUALA
27 May 2024 - from 17h00: Official cocktail at the Hilton Hotel in YAOUNDE
28 May 2024: Official opening, exhibition inauguration, plenary session and gala dinner
29 May 2024: Parallel sessions, Workshops/roundtables and closing ceremony
Thursday 30 May 2024 morning:
9h00-15h00: visit of the Nachtigal Dam
9h00-15h00: touristic visit of Yaounde
Lunch at the Hilton Hotel
PRESENTATIONS
Session 2: Round table: Digital Transformation, a major lever for Agenda 2063
Mainstreaming Digitalisation in the design and implementation of the African Integrated Railways Network Project (AIRNP), Mr. Amine Idriss ADOUM, Director of Infrastructure, Industrialization, Trade, and Regional Integration (AUDA-NEPAD)
Digitalisation and digital risks, Dr. François NGUILLA KOOH, Expert in Digital Risk Management and Cybersecurity Manager
Digital railway maturity in Africa, strengths, weaknesses, threats, opportunities (SWOT), Prof Khumbulani MPOFU, Board Member, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa
Current state of rail development, deployment of digital solutions and follow-up to the Tunis congress, Mr. Mohamed BELARBI, Representative of the UIC African Region
Dr. Rachad NASSAR, Global Accounts Director, Smart Transportation BU, HUAWEI - Diamond Sponsor
Session 3: Round table: Financing digital innovation in African railways
Pr. Georges Bertrand TAMOKWE PIAPTIE, Directeur de l’ESSEC, Douala, Cameroon
Mr. Michel EWECK, Expert in digital solutions, CEO of the startup ADWA SARL - Platinum Sponsor 1
Session 4: Round table: Digital in the rail value chain, beyond Africa
Mr. Christian CHAVANEL, UIC, Rail System Director & Africa Coordinator
Session 5: Digital transformation of networks: what progress has been made?
Eng. Amir ABDULSATTAR, Senior Director, ICT, Ethio-Djibouti Railways, Ethiopia
M. Mohamed KIDOU, Head of the Passenger Digital Department, ONCF, Morocco
M. Yannick Tchanou, CAMRAIL, Cameroon
Session 6: Innovative solutions
Mr. Taoufik BOUFAIED, General Director of SNCFT, Tunisia
Mr. Mohamed Ali Abd Alraheem, Lybian Railways, Lybia
CAMTEL - Gold sponsor 1
PRESS REVIEW
PARTNERSHIPS
Sponsorships with the participation of investors. Sponsorship packages available upon request.
PARTICIPANTS
300 participants
LANGUAGES
French & English
VENUE
27 MAY 2024, DOUALA, CAMEROON (Technical visit)
28-30 MAY 2024, YAOUNDE CAMEROON (Congress)
Event Venue: Hilton Hotel, Bd du 20 mai, Yaounde, Cameroon
Arrival for the technical visit: Douala International Airport
Arrival for the Congress: Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport
CONTACT
Maria Lafont, lafont at uic.org
Christine Hassoun, hassoun at uic.org