The world's largest electronics company has signed a deal worth Sh36 million with Strathmore University that will see it fund research on new and innovative mobile phone applications for a period of three years.

Under the deal, @iLabAfrica will expand its activities by supporting students and entrepreneurs who are engaged in developing mobile innovations related to the sensational Android and Bada platforms, the latter being Samsung's very own.

@iLabAfrica is a new Centre of Excellence in ICT Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Incubation, and Policy Research for Africa. The centre is dedicated to leveraging the benefits of innovations in ICT, promoting entrepreneurship through nurturing and mentoring of young innovators via adequate training programmes and incubation facilities, as well as promoting a conducive environment in Africa through policy research.

Speaking during the announcement of the agreement last week, Mr Kwang Kee Park, Samsung electronics Africa president, termed the partnership with Strathmore as useful for future development of African products that will meet the continent's expectation.

Samsung already has a similar arrangement with the University of Cape Town making Strathmore University the second Samsung innovation lab centre in Africa.

"It is a partnership agreement for three years; Samsung will support us to do research to help students come up with new and innovative products. It is in form of funding for the lab and Samsung hardware." Remarked Dr Joseph Sevilla, the director of @iLabAfrica during the one week Samsung Africa Forum in Nairobi.

Strathmore University was lauded for its support and training of innovative and entrepreneurial students. This has seen the University attract other innovative partners like the Safaricom academy, Google and many more. Such partnerships continue to encourage various unique creations among the participating students and even regular entrepreneurs who are not IT professionals but are interested in applications nonetheless. By partnering with Strathmore, Samsung will certainly boost great inventions for mobile phone applications in the region.

www.strathmore.edu