Project Concept On EON - MHTESTD
Project Concept On EON - MHTESTD
Project Concept On EON - MHTESTD
AUGUMENENTED AND
VIRTUAL REALITY PROJECT ON
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN
INTERACTIVE DIGITAL CENTRE
(IDC)
Contents
1.0 Project Scope ......................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Project Summary ................................................................................................................. 2
1.1.1 Project Title .................................................................................................................... 2
1.1.2 Location ........................................................................................................................ 2
1.1.3 Activities Involved ........................................................................................................ 2
1.1.4 Beneficiaries .................................................................................................................. 3
1.1.5 Overall Project Cost, Including Operation and Maintenance .............................. 4
1.1.6 Type Of Finance ........................................................................................................... 4
1.1.7 Construction Period ..................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Outputs ................................................................................................................................. 5
1.2.1 Goods and Services..................................................................................................... 5
1.2.2 Expected Revenue Streams ....................................................................................... 6
1.3 Outcomes ........................................................................................................................................ 7
1.3.1 Trade Facilitation..................................................................................................................... 7
1.3.2 Employment Creation ........................................................................................................... 7
1.3.3 Impact On Fiscus..................................................................................................................... 7
2.0 Alignment to National Development .......................................................................................... 7
2.1 Linkage with National Development Goals ........................................................................... 7
2.2 Project Objectives and Goals .................................................................................................... 7
2.3 The Problem Being Solved ........................................................................................................... 7
2.4 Project Justification ....................................................................................................................... 8
2.5 Other strategic considerations................................................................................................... 9
3.0 PROPOSED DEAL STRUCTURE .......................................................................................................... 9
3.1 Joint Venture model -Supply Operate and Transfer............................................................ 9
3.2 Concession Period/Operation Period ...................................................................................... 9
3.3 Shareholding ................................................................................................................................. 10
3.4 Responsibility of Each Partner .................................................................................................. 10
3.4.1 Government (Contracting Authority) ............................................................................. 10
3.4.2 Private Investor - EON REALITY (Counterparty) ............................................................. 11
1
1.0 Project Scope
1.1.2 Location
An Interactive Digital Centre (IDC) comprises of three main components which include,
an innovation academy, a development studio and a showroom. The Ministry of Higher
and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development has availed the
Zimbabwe Centre for High Performance Computing (ZCHPC) to house the IDC.
i. The Innovation academy: used to train students and Information Technology (IT)
professionals to build the much needed skills in 3D imaging.
ii. AVR Developments Studio: this is the development of market relevant products
by harnessing the 3D imaging skills developed in the Innovation academy.
iii. The VR/AR showroom: which showcases state-of the-art VR/AR technologies that
are used for different services.
2
ii. The Development of Market Related Products
1.1.4 Beneficiaries
The Government of Zimbabwe through the MHTESTD has the mandate of promoting
emerging technologies and ICT is the global fastest developing sector. The AVR Initiative
will seek to leverage on supercomputing, virtual reality capabilities to improve the
sustainable livelihoods of the Zimbabwean nation through advancements in oil
exploration, mineral exploration and environmental management policies which all seek
enhance the GDP of the country. The country spends millions of dollars of scarce foreign
currency on the importation of such services proposed in the initiative and it would be
beneficial for the country to have an interactive digital Centre that generates revenue
by offering services to multinational companies, Non-Governmental organisations,
universities and mines for designated fees that will be used to further improve the
technologies inherent in the country. Key national benefits include:
• Stimulate job creation of future smart jobs especially in the field of technical and
vocational training targeted to uplift several hundred thousand workers and
vocational skills in Zimbabwe by deploying countrywide AVR Smart Worker rollouts.
In addition to national benefits there are institutional benefits to the Zimbabwe Centre for
High performance computing and these include:
3
• Enables the expansion of ZCHPC in terms of infrastructure as it offers services to
diversified market spheres and consequently resulting in revenue generation to
sustain its computational services to academia;
• The initiative will allow ZCHPC to leverage on other government institutions and
parastatals such as the national Data centre’s infrastructure to extend its services
across the nation; and
Academic Institutions from primary to higher and tertiary education would benefit from
cutting costs of carrying out practical sessions that make up part of the curriculum
through use of AR in carrying out practicals. This will result in better skilled academic
products. Augmented and Virtual Reality (AVR) has been proven to enable knowledge
transfer, which can be up to 12 times faster, which allows for the fast -tracking of
employable students.
1.1.5 Overall Project Cost, Including Operation and Maintenance (reference to financial
statements attached)
1.1.6 Type of Finance
EON would like to co invest $20.9 Million into the InteractiveDigital Centre focused on AR
and VR technology development for knowledge transfer. The proposed investment is
modelled after similar investment projects in 23 locations around the globe including
Manchester UK, Laval France, City of Tshwane, State of Mexico Government, Abu Dhabi
UAE.
The government of Zimbabwe will purchase the equipment from EON for $6,692,752
which is presented as an upfront 50% contribution to the project. The payment is
expected to be carried out as follows:
4
ii. 35% of Purchaser’s Payment within five (5) days upon delivery of EON
software and installed in work stations included in the IDC
Equipment;
iii. 25% of Purchaser’s Payment within five (5) days of delivery of all
remaining IDC Equipment to a mutually agreed address by the
Parties; and
iv. 5% of Purchaser’s Payment immediately upon installation and
operational verification of the IDC Equipment.
1.2 Outputs
1.2.1 Goods and services
This Project will allow the provision of industrial scale applications that can transform
Zimbabwean Industry in terms of production processes, high cost infrastructure
development simulations. The Industrial applications which can be adopted include the
following:
1.2.1.1 Architecture
The Project seeks to provide applications that will give a competitive advantage for both
software and hardware for the experts in the architectural domain sphere. These
advantages could range from better rendering of the virtual environment to group
collaboration and property visualization. AVR can shorten the client approval process.
Before VR and AR, the 3D depictions of houses and buildings used by architects have
only been seen on flat pieces of paper or computer screens. But these very same 3D
models can be used in VR and AR to create a real-world experience for the end
consumer. Thus saving a great deal of time when creating the prototypes to meet your
client’s standards.
1.2.1.3 Aerodynamics
The industrial applications proposed also aim to enhance the aerodynamics industry in
Zimbabwe. The impetus will be on visualizing and interacting with aircraft Computer
Aided Design (CAD) geometry to allow the National Carrier Air Zimbabwe to assemble
5
and maintain its fleet of airlines, thus providing a VR environment almost identical to that
inside of the full-scale physical mockups once built for each aircraft during the design
phase. These applications can enhance the following aircraft features:
Many Industries in Zimbabwe have Quality assurance systems that are often manual and
heavily reliant on individuals to detect any anomalies within the production line. However
with the improvements in technology through Augmented Virtual Reality firms can
implement automated Quality Assurances (QAs).
The AVR era allows the automation of the production process using a whole host of
sensors and actuators. When workers are presented with data and the mechanics
through gadgets the production line becomes more efficient.
For the armed forces, training is time-consuming, costly and potentially dangerous but
technology offers a better way. Increasingly, military leaders the world over are turning
to virtual reality (VR) as a means to make training more efficient and more cost-effective.
With the rise of inexpensive equipment, highly detailed and customized simulations, AVR
can provide a full range of immersive scenarios for military training from mission rehearsals
to live fire exercises. By being placed in a more hands-on learning environment, personnel
can not only gauge more realistic reactions but also have higher retention of information
since VR brings training beyond theory. These Solutions will enhance the training
methodologies for the Defense Forces and can be incorporated to the Defence College
so that even compatriots within the region can be serviced using the facility.
6
1.3 Outcomes
The AVR Projects provides the platform of exporting services to the SADC region which is
in need of both Augmented and virtual reality expertise. The advantage is that in the
region only the South African Pretoria IDC has been identified to have the potential of
exporting such services thus implying that the market is readily available. The Project
improves the technological positioning of the country as an IDC that will provide services
to other countries within the region. Global connectivity is also enhanced as the
technical partner has global subsidiaries that foster Research and Development (R& D)
programmes which would improve the research capabilities, spheres within the country
and interconnectivity to other advancements the world over.
The project is in sync with the national vision which stipulates that Zimbabwe will become
an upper middle income economy by 2030. Through application of these AVR emerging
technologies Zimbabwe can be enabled to successfully attain vision 2030.
The Dynamic change in interactive technology has improved the way doctors carry out
their surgeries as they have enough run-through before the actual operation. Technicians
working with heavy machinery, get enough practice to operate the machinery without
actually having to handle the hazardous machines. Costs have been cut in
aerodynamics training and military training to mention a few sectors, by the use of
Interactive Digital Centres (IDCs).
IDCs make use of Virtual and Augmented Reality to create different environments that
mimic the physical environment for training, research and educational purposes. IDCs
are also being used to design machinery and robots for production in different industrial
domains, this reduces the cost of developing several prototypes. This then makes an IDC
an investment of interest as it will be used to improve among others, the industrial and
education sectors in Zimbabwe.
The combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality
(AR )and Virtual Reality(VR) propels human-computer interaction in different domains
such as architecture, quality assurance, complex assembly, production automation and
Defense AVR platforms amongst others. Virtual Reality being the creation of a virtual
world prototyping the physical environment is combined with augmented reality that
entails data overlays on mobile devises creating a seamless environment of real and
digital integration. Where man and machine intelligence work together for mutual
benefit and technology empowers a nation. Additionally this project will indulge different
corporations in architecture, quality assurance, complex assembly, production
automation and defense thus making the market very lucrative to establish a Virtual and
Augmented Reality Project in Zimbabwe.
8
Enhancement of the aerodynamics industry in Zimbabwe. The impetus will be on
visualizing and interacting with aircraft CAD geometry to allow the National Carrier Air
Zimbabwe to assemble, maintain its fleet of airlines, thus providing a VR environment
almost identical to that inside of the full-scale physical mock-ups once built for each
aircraft during the design phase. These applications can enhance flight deck design,
maintainability/accessibility verification, assembly planning, maintenance training, and
the creation of maintenance training animations.
These Solutions will enhance the training methodologies for the Defense Forces, Health
practitioners working on highly infectious disease e.g. Ebola, cholera, the mining sectors
on handling earth moving machinery.
The project would also create employment for the local since it is estimated that the
project would employ more than 250 people.
This IDC Joint-Venture Partnership will take the type of a Supply, Operate and Transfer
(SOT) agreement, where EON would hand over the project to the MHTESTD at the
conclusion of the 5 year operational period, in a sustainable manner whereby the
Zimbabwean Team would have been trained enough to be in the capacity to operate
the IDC. This SOT is captured in the Joint Ventures Act [Chapter 22:22], Schedule Section
2(2), Part II, section 16.
9
3.3 Shareholding
EON Reality is willing to contribute its own resources to the value of US$20.9m. (76%) over
five years in the establishment and operations of the Zimbabwe IDC, and which also
includes a US$6.7m contribution towards the initial establishment of the IDC. The
Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) will provide a US$$6.7m (24%) up-front grant as its
contribution to the initial establishment of the Centre. EON has 76% of shareholding driven
from 20.9m USD while the contracting party has a 24% shareholding stemming from the
shareholder contribution of an up-front grant of 6.7million USD.
This however shall be revised after incorporating the GOZ contribution of infrastructure
and land values.
To create an IDC Hub in Zimbabwe, which will act as the GOZ / Ministry, as well as EON
Reality’s exclusive Centre of Excellence in Zimbabwe. As the Country Hub, the Zimbabwe
IDC will be subsequently responsible for, and oversee any subsequent satellite IDC
center’s that open in Zimbabwe.
The Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) will provide a US$$6.7m for the project.
The Government of Zimbabwe will be responsible for providing the Infrastructure to house
the equipment. This infrastructure as well as the land thereof shall be costed to add up
to the US$6.7m and change the shareholding structure consequently.
Government of Zimbabwe owns and controls 100% of the Zimbabwe IDC infrastructure
and equipment at the end of the 5 year period.
The Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) facilitates for all duty waivers for equipment
earmarked for the IDC as well as facilitating for all work permit matters for expatriate EON
staff, repatriation of EON profits and any other regulatory or clearance matters needed
for a smooth flow of the project.
The GoZ through the MHTESTD will collect all incomes and revenues related to the services
delivered by the IDC and through its Public Finance System make the same payments to
EON.
10
3.4.2 Private investor - EON REALITY (Counterparty)
EON Reality is willing to contribute its own resources to the value of US$20.9m.
World Links Zimbabwe represents EON Reality in Zimbabwe, and, given their previous
experience in VR implementation in Zimbabwe, will also help to operate the IDC, on
behalf of the parties.
EON Reality owns the EON Zimbabwe company (with World Links Zimbabwe), that will
have the obligation to execute the mutually agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The above notwithstanding, the ownership structure should align to the Republic of
Zimbabwe Joint Ventures Act (chapter 22:22).
Training of the local EON Engineers until they have been capacitated to deliver the
services. Establishment and launch of the Zimbabwe IDC at the identified location
Manpower (for first five (5) years): $840,000 (two (2) Teachers and Content development
experts to teach ES school and develop knowledge apps with students);
Provide, in accordance with technical and software support proposal, in respect of the
IDC Equipment and IDC Software for the Term:
(iii) deliver the required IDC Equipment consisting of software and hardware as to the
IDC Space;
(iv) supply material documentation for training in respect of the IDC Equipment;
(v) Provide PURCHASER training on new EON products, software or any other new
products introduced into the market after the Launch Date; and
Find attached financial statements to support this Proposed Joint Venture in addition to
the concept note, and purchase agreement already submitted earlier.
11