Summary
Lebanon's SmartEx exhibition opened this week with scores of companies showcasing their innovations and with experts discussing the challenges and opportunities of Lebanon's tech sector. The four-day evening exhibition, which opened Wednesday, featured different aspects of the country's technology sector, from information, to telecommunication, security, automation and retail.
This year's edition follows the recent CEDRE Conference with $11 billion in loans and grants to rehabilitate Lebanon's infrastructure and few days away from the long-awaited elections, with high hopes of developing Lebanon into a genuine tech hub in the region.
Lebanese Telecommunications Minister Jamal Jarrah opened the exhibition by highlighting the accomplishments of Lebanon's entrepreneurs being able to hold their own in global startup competitions.
According to IDAL, Lebanon's ICT (information and computer technology) sector grew by an astounding 9.7 percent in 2017, among the country's fastest-growing industries.
What started as a printing press in 1973 became a go-to center for 3D printing in Lebanon and the rest of the region.
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