20 Aug 2015

In an effort to sensitise stakeholders on current developments, the Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) and science technology innovation vendor day and exhibition yesterday in Gaborone.

The chairperson of the board of directors of BIH, Mr Neo Moroka said the innovation day and exhibition was an initiative to publicise its mandate and showcase current innovation programmes offered and relevant to Batswana.

Mr Moroka said the Southern Africa Innovation Support programme (SAIS) has played a significant role in establishing sustainable knowledge sharing networks and strengthening human capacity related to innovation.

He said over 1 500 entrepreneurs and innovators were trained last year in various aspects of innovation such as innovation management and technology transfer.

Mr Moroka said the programme facilitated partnership with BCL mine on an entrepreneurship development programme tailored for the mine’s technology supply chain.

He commended the recent Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bill which Parliament recently passed, saying it woud designate the science and technology park located in Block 8 as an SEZ. 

He said the park would not only extend more incentives to BIH registered members, but also improve doing business at large.

For his part, the BIH chief executive officer, Mr Allan Boshwaen said BIH was a targeted intervention to establish the first science and technology park in the country with the aim to create world class specialised infrastructure for innovative entities, foster technology entrepreneurship and technology transfer, create knowledge based jobs and attract innovation-led businesses and investments into Botswana.

He said based on a technology foresight at the conception of Innovation Hub, four focal areas were identified namely Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Mining Technology, Clean Technology and Biotechnology.

Mr Boshwaen stated that the identified areas were seen to have potential to diversify the economy beyond its traditional engines of growth.

The day was meant to allow exhibition of innovations and networking among clients, stakeholders, entrepreneurs and companies to showcase some of their innovative services and products ready for commercialisation. Ends