05 Jun 2019

Transforming research into profitable products and services can strengthen sustained progress towards improved living conditions by building environmental friendly and more efficient societies, says Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology Mr Moiseraele Goya.

When officiating at the on-going 5th STEM Festival, Research and Innovation Symposium held at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) in Palapye on June 4.

He said the theme: STEM driven economy: transforming research into profitable products and services was  appropriate as Botswana was shifting focus from a resource based to a knowledge based economy.

He stated that government had stepped up to the challenge, and was prioritising investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, through institutions such as BIUST.

Mr Goya, who is also Member of Parliament for Palapye, said to ensure achievement of the priority, government would improve access to tertiary education through provision of funding and infrastructural development for public institutions.

The assistant minister indicated that it was important for Botswana to train experts in STEM programmes to become globally competitive, adding that technology and innovation tend to create a supportive environment for research and development and to impact economic growth by creating a robust national system of innovation.

He therefore, urged stakeholders to contribute to research and development funding, which he said are crucial to economic growth, job creation and improving the quality of life amongst communities.

Furthermore, Mr Goya said a group of academics researched the economic, chemical and medicinal values of Morama and Mongongo fruits, and encouraged them to patent their research results and develop a business plan that can attract international funding for the production of Morama products.

“It is through these manufacturing factories, that thousands of jobs can be created for our young people and local communities”, he said, stressing that academics should commercialise their research in order to lead the country on a path to attain sustainable development.

Mr Goya mentioned that research is a catalyst of change, adding that economies and businesses require research to innovate new solutions because they cannot afford to stay idle.

“As we transcend into the fourth industrial revolution, research is a necessity because its findings lead to new inventions and technologies”, he said.

He noted that in this era, companies should be prepared to make significant investments on research in order to develop new solutions.

He applauded the government for choosing Palapye as the ‘Coal Beneficiation Hub’, saying he was confident that the partnership between BIUST and Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) would become a catalyst for major product development and research opportunities. ENDS