(Business in Cameroon) - The Cameroonian minister of higher education, Jacques Fame Ndongo, presided last February 8 over the inauguration of the Cameroon Digital Innovation Center (CDIC). The incubator was launched on the sidelines of the national youth holiday to be held tomorrow February 11.

According to We Are Tech, the new platform of Ecofin agency dedicated to digital news in Africa, the CDIC is a cyberpark that aims to support the local digital entrepreneurial ecosystem, and subsequently contribute to the country’s digital transformation. The telecom minister Minette Libom Li Likeng, who piloted the project and will manage the infrastructure, sees in this project the commitment of President Paul Biya to support young ICT project holders.

"One of the main challenges for our youth is to successfully reach the digital economy. The government will help them in this process by putting in place an efficient and effective infrastructure to do so,” President Biya said in his traditional speech to the youth on February 10, 2016.

In addition to providing young innovators with an adequately equipped workplace at preferential rates, the CDIC offers them access to seed funds through investors and other venture capitalists, mentoring services, technical assistance, intellectual property management, marketing expertise, financial and accounting services, etc.

Gouather Alex Bertrand, who heads the association of startups, said the new center is a boon, as it offers innovators at least 30% of the technical prerequisites necessary to launch and develop their digital activities.

 BRM