25 Oct 2023

Government acknowledges the importance of science, technology, and innovation in a knowledge-based economy, hence the need to have events where participants collaborate and create innovative projects that focus on technology and skills transfer.

Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology Mr Thulagano Segokgo expressed the sentiments during the official opening of the Technology and Skills Transfer Makeathon 2023 at the University of Botswana, Gaborone on October 24.

He said the Global Innovation Index ranked Botswana 85th out of 132 economies, and third among 28 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of innovativeness.

As such, he said, the country needed to accelerate efforts in the area of innovativeness. The minister hailed events such as Makeathons for cultivating and developing a mindset of inquiry and prototyping.

“I firmly believe that the Makeathon will successfully attain its intended objective of capacitation and skills transfer in the areas of smart technologies and robotics,” he said.

He said the Makeathon theme: Developing Robotics Skills Through Innovation and Creativity for a Smart Economy, showed that robotics had emerged as a vital discipline within various industries, requiring professionals to enhance their abilities to stay abreast with technological advancement.

He also said sustained economic prosperity was undeniably linked to the development of the knowledge economy as evidenced by countries that had reaped numerous benefits from  investing in developing their knowledge-based industries.

Minister Segokgo expressed hope that the Makeathon would cultivate a culture of creativity, and in so doing, propel participants to gain the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude for a technology-driven economy.

“The Makeathon provides a conducive atmosphere that breaks and pushes limits to develop breakthrough solutions, by challenging individuals to think beyond traditional boundaries,” he said.

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Mr Kgopotso Ramoroka said the theme of the Makeathon spoke to the aspirations of the education sector.

 “As a nation, we have the collective responsibility to change and shape the future of our next generations by embracing innovation,” he said.

Mr Ramoroka said the Makeathon was testament to the unwavering commitment to promoting hands-on learning, nurturing inventive thinking, and empowering the next generation of problem solvers.“Authentic learning is a dynamic process that flourishes when knowledge is coupled with practical application, and this event embodies precisely that philosophy,” he added.

Human Resource Development Council Board Member Dr Andrew Molwane  said the HRDC Act spoke to research and innovation and the need to coordinate, promote and support tertiary education and link the industry link to research and innovation activities.

He said the HRDC had for the most part of NDP 11 conducted capacity-building initiatives for tertiary education institutions with a view to impart skills along the research and innovation value chain, covering Intellectual Property, patenting of research ideas to technology transfer and commercialisation of such.

He also said the Technology and Skills Transfer Makeathon had demonstrated  human potential and ingenuity, but it was time to take it to the next level from being an event to making it a sustainable programme.. ENDS