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DESCRIPTION:Dr. Olivier Defawe\n\nUnlocking Africa’s Skies: How Innovation 
 Ecosystems Can Bridge the Infrastructure Gap with Drones\n\nAfrica’s publi
 c health and logistics systems face persistent challenges due to infrastru
 cture gaps\, supply chain inefficiencies\, and geographical barriers. Thes
 e obstacles limit access to essential medical supplies\, delay disease res
 ponse efforts\, and create broader socio-economic constraints. While tradi
 tional infrastructure development struggles to keep pace\, emerging techno
 logies\, particularly drones\, are proving their potential to bypass these
  barriers and transform healthcare delivery\, disaster response\, and supp
 ly chain management.\n	However\, technology alone is not enough. To move be
 yond small-scale pilot projects and achieve meaningful impact\, we must fo
 ster interdisciplinary innovation ecosystems that bring together researche
 rs\, engineers\, public health experts\, policymakers\, and industry leade
 rs. This seminar will examine why and how drones and complementary technol
 ogies such as AI-driven logistics\, automation\, and data science should b
 e integrated into sustainable public health and infrastructure strategies.
 \n\nBy showcasing real-world applications as well as the regulatory and fi
 nancial challenges of scaling these technologies\, we highlight the necess
 aity for a systematic\, engineering-driven approach to technology adoption
 . The future of infrastructure is not just about roads and bridges. It is 
 about building adaptive\, technology-driven ecosystems that enhance resili
 ence and equity in service delivery.\n\nDate: Friday\, March 28\, 2025\n	Ti
 me: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM\n	Location: Armstrong Building\, Room 265\n\nRegiste
 r here\n\n\nAbout the speaker\n\n\n\nDr. Olivier Defawe is a global health
  innovator specializing in private-sector engagement and transformative he
 althcare solutions for low- and middle-income countries. As a Director at 
 VillageReach\, he leads strategic partnerships and pioneered the integrati
 on of drone technology into public health\, founding the Drones for Health
  program over a decade ago. His work has enabled successful drone operatio
 ns in multiple African countries and now extends to market shaping and pol
 icy guidance for the drone industry. Dr. Defawe also founded the UAV for P
 ayload Delivery Working Group\, fostering global collaboration on drone us
 e in healthcare. He holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the Universi
 ty of Liège\, Belgium.\n
DTSTART:20250328T153000Z
DTEND:20250328T170000Z
LOCATION:Room 265\, Donald E. Armstrong Building\, CA\, QC\, Montreal\, H3A
  3L1\, 3420 rue McTavish
SUMMARY:SGI Seminar Series with Olivier Defawe
URL:/desautels/channels/event/sgi-seminar-series-olivi
 er-defawe-363818
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