12 Mar 2015

Botswana Innovation Hub cluster development director says the Demola Collaboration in Southern Africa workshop presents a novel way to collaborate in an international network that brings together people and organisations from various fields.

Speaking at the event, Mr Budzanani Tacheba said the workshop was an effort between Botswana Innovation Hub, Southern African Innovation Support Programme (SAIS) and Demola.

“The workshop is based on a fusion of ideas, skills and perspectives of students from various backgrounds and is strengthened by a global network that combines the talent of students with company activities and university research,” he said.

He stated that innovation was only as strong as the ecosystem in which it was created and groundbreaking innovation was created only when people with passion and talent were interconnected across nations, cultures and fields of expertise. Mr Tacheba further said innovation with true impact could not be created in isolated and disconnected units.

He said Botswana Innovation Hub aimed to develop advanced science and technology innovation capital and activities in the country by attracting innovators, channeling the requisite support services and conditioning the investment climate.

Speaking on the other two entities that collaborated with them for the workshop, Mr Tacheba said Demola is an international organisation that facilitates co-creation projects between university students and companies, either locally or internationally.

He said Demola builds ecosystems by promoting and developing efficient co-creation methods, driving a cultural change towards open innovation and enhancing innovation competencies both on individual and organizational levels.

Mr Tacheba further indicated that SAIS programme was funded by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is a four year pilot project which seeks to guide innovation in Southern Africa.

“The programme supports collaboration between the innovation systems of African countries in order to create a positive impact on economic and social development in the region,” he said. ENDS