Solomon Assefa is the Director of IBM Research – Africa, encompassing the South African and Kenyan labs. He leads by defining strategy, executing research-and-development projects, hiring top-notch scientists and fostering an innovation ecosystem. Previously, he was the Director of Research Strategy and Growth Initiatives for Africa at IBM. As a research scientist, Dr Assefa has worked on IBM’s nanophotonics technology, with responsibilities spanning research, development and technology transfer to commercial foundries. His research contributions include high-speed optical detectors, nanostructured platforms for bio-sensing, and quantum information processing. He has co-written more than 50 scientific articles, has over 45 patents to his name, and has appeared as a guest speaker at numerous conferences worldwide. Dr Assefa holds a BS in physics, a BS and MS in electrical engineering and computer science, and a PhD, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Session: Driving Innovation through Africa’s Digital Economy

Date:  26 March 2018

Time: 15:30-16:45