The 19th International Convention and Fair Informática 2024 has closed its doors
Under the slogan “For a digital society,” the 19th International Convention and Fair Informática 2024 ended today at the Conventions Palace of Havana.
Wilfredo González Vidal, First Vice Minister of Communications, said during the closing ceremony that the event allowed progress towards digital transformation, in terms of economic development and meeting the needs of the people.
He pointed out that more than one thousand delegates and exhibitors from 22 countries participated in the Convention, which resulted in a wide-ranging scientific and technological discussion.
Nine events were successfully held, as well as round tables, technical panels, workshops and keynote lectures in on-site and online modalities, he added.
Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, the fifth generation network (5G) and digital transformation were topics that captured the attention of the attendees, noted the first vice minister.
Priority was given to university-enterprise links in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector, which shows the value of higher education institutions and scientific centers in the necessary effort to train experts as an essential resource in digital transformation.
About the Fair, which this year returned to its usual venue at the Pabexpo fairgrounds, González Vidal said that entrepreneurs discussed products, services and best practices, and established alliances and business deals.
The exhibition fair was attended by Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, and Manuel Marrero Cruz, member of the Political Bureau and Prime Minister, as well as other State and Government authorities.
González Vidal considered that the visits of the country’s leadership to Informática is an expression of the will to promote ICTs in pursuit of the nation’s socioeconomic development priorities and objectives.
Products and services were shown in 49 stands, including 37 nationals and a dozen foreigners from Germany, Canada, China, Spain, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Russia, Suriname and Venezuela.
From Cuba, we had participation of state institutions, universities, science, technology and innovation entities and, for the first time, privately managed organizations participated as well.
The Informática 2024 Fair took place at the same time as the 3rd International Colloquium Patria, as part of Cuba’s decision to use ICTs for social communication and government management to solve the daily problems of society, explained the first vice minister.
Even under limited economic conditions, Cuba has shown its determination to bring technology closer to the population and to establish and develop the information technology industry, with its most valuable resource: human resources, he said.
He called for participation in the 20th International Convention and Fair, Informática 2026, to be held from March 23 to 27, 2026, at the Havana Conventions Center and Pabexpo.
At the closing ceremony, awards and special recognitions were presented to the Information Technology Enterprise (ETI), the University of Computer Science of Havana, the Ministry of Justice, the Havana Science and Technology Park, the Central Bank of Cuba, the Defense Information Technology Enterprise (Xetid) and the Development of Applications, Technologies and Systems (Datys).
The economic stakeholders Ingenius, Avangenio, Guajiritos, Pyxel and Dofleini also won awards.
Jorge Luis Perdomo Di-Lella, Vice Prime Minister of the Republic, and Mayra Arevich Marín, Minister of Communications, presided over the closing ceremony.
