The Omaheke Innovation Village (The O-SPACE) on Wednesday commenced a three-day business pitching training for twenty-three Technical and Vocational Education and Training students who applied for the incubation programme. The business pitching training aims to bring together all 23 shortlisted applicants for the vocational market programme. They will receive basic knowledge, tips, and skills on how to professionally pitch their business ideas and will be guided to their official pitching day, where they will present to a selection jury for a chance to be in the final selection. The O-SPACE Vocational Market programme will then support the incubators to become or upscale into fully trading entrepreneurs. According to Brenda Tjijombo, a board member of the O-Space Vocational Market, the selection of the seven graduates will be based on various aspects such as good innovative business ideas and leadership traits. 'We are a non-governmental organisation that focuses on socio-economic programmes like combating youth unemployment and economic emancipation. We aim to support our technical and vocational education and training sector by meeting the government halfway; we aim to nurture employers rather than employees with this programme,' she said. 'With these mentorship programmes, we are equipping those seven graduates with the necessary skills and tools. This programme runs parallel with other programmes at the village aimed at mitigating social issues such as malnutrition and safeguarding food security in the region,' she added. Tjijombo further stated that if this programme succeeds, they dream of extending it to the rest of the country to benefit more young people. This training is fully funded by the Social Security Commission of Namibia, represented by Chris Tjijahura, who noted that the commission has allocated N.dollars 350 000 for this programme, translating to each graduate receiving N.dollars 50 000 at the end of the incubation period. During the first six months, the incubators will be equipped with various entrepreneurial skills, while in the last six months of the training, they will begin producing and selling their products and providing services to the people of the Omaheke region. Source: The Namibia Press Agency Tunisia will make its first appearance at the industrial technology fair "Hannover Messe 2024" with a delegation of 10 SMEs and start-ups specialising in the development and technologies of Industry 4.0. The event is scheduled to take place in Germany from April 22 to 26, 2024. At a press conference held on Thursday in Tunis, Nada Lachaal, director general of industrial and technological infrastructure at the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines, said this participation is part of the "Towards an Industry 4.0 in Tunisia" initiative, supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in coordination with the Tunisian Embassy in Germany. Lachaal said an official delegation will be present, led by Ahlem Béji, Chief of Staff of the Minister of Industry. It will include key stakeholders from the innovation and Industry 4.0 ecosystem. She also stressed that a Tunisian pavilion, with an area of about 100m3, will be located in th e digital ecosystem section under the theme "Industry 4.0". Nada Lachaal specified that the pavilion aims to promote Tunisian industry and Tunisia as a favourable destination for industrial investment, and to promote international industrial or strategic partnerships with companies and organisations participating in the exhibition. This participation aims to encourage Tunisian companies to embrace the Industry 4.0 initiative, take note of the latest technologies presented at the event, and promote the Tunisian innovation and Industry 4.0 ecosystem among German and European companies and organisations. With more than 4,000 exhibitors, 300 start-ups, 14,000 products and solutions and 130,000 visitors expected, the event will be marked by the emergence of new technologies related to Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, carbon-neutral production, energy and green hydrogen. Since 2019, Tunisia has participated as a visitor in this exhibition with a delegation of business leaders, industrial SMEs and start-up s. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse