Zambia and Israel Strengthen Cooperation in Innovation and Advanced Technology
The discussions focused on building practical partnerships that support Zambia’s development priorities while drawing on Israel’s globally recognized expertise in entrepreneurship and technological advancement.
Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science, Hon. Felix Mutati, MP, held a high-level meeting with Her Excellency Ofra Farhi, Ambassador of Israel to Zambia, to explore expanded bilateral cooperation in innovation, skills development, and advanced technology. The discussions focused on building practical partnerships that support Zambia’s development priorities while drawing on Israel’s globally recognized expertise in entrepreneurship and technological advancement.
Hon. Mutati reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to developing a vibrant innovation ecosystem and emphasized the importance of mentorship and capacity-building initiatives to empower young entrepreneurs. Engagements with Israeli counterparts are scheduled later this month to operationalize the collaboration and define actionable pathways. The Minister also revived earlier discussions on satellite technology, highlighting opportunities to work with Israel through Zambia’s Remote Sensing Centre to expand satellite applications and space-based technologies for national development.
The Minister further outlined Zambia’s strategic focus on building specialized skills aligned with national goals. He noted that the country’s target to increase mining output to three million tonnes requires a technologically skilled workforce. He also underscored the need for expertise to address Zambia’s energy deficit and modernize agriculture, pointing to Israel’s success in achieving high agricultural productivity through technology-driven practices. Knowledge exchange and technology transfer in agriculture were identified as key areas of potential collaboration.
Ambassador Ofra Farhi welcomed the proposed areas of cooperation and expressed Israel’s readiness to support Zambia in capacity building, technology development, mentorship of young entrepreneurs, satellite innovation, and cybersecurity. She highlighted renewed momentum in bilateral relations following the opening of embassies and high-level presidential exchanges, noting strong interest in Israel to deepen practical engagement with Zambia.
Describing the partnership as mutually beneficial, Ambassador Farhi affirmed Israel’s commitment to working closely with Zambia’s Ministry of Technology and Science and other stakeholders to achieve measurable outcomes. Both sides agreed on the importance of translating diplomatic goodwill into tangible development results through strategic collaboration in innovation, skills enhancement, and advanced technology.
