12 Dec 2013

Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) has made strides in the implementation of the BIH Strategy 2013-2016.

Chief Executive Officer of BIH, Mr Allan Boshwaen said at a media briefing, Tuesday December 10 that various objectives which BIH measures itself with have been achieved. He said in terms of innovation development and support initiatives, BIH launched First Steps Venture Centre, a technology incubation entrepreneurship platform.

Mr Boshwaen said there were various offices partitioned at First Steps Venture Centre for entrepreneurs to use as their operational technology base, which he said were distinct from what anyone else was doing.

He said so far, they have registered the first seven companies who will be operating from First Steps Venture Centre.

“We had felt that it was important to start tapping into innovation system while still developing the Science and Technology Park,” he said. He said BIH was also active in the promotion of advancement of science and technology and that two major projects that were underway were TV white space for delivery of broadband.

“There was huge outcry from the public that there was shortage, expensive and inaccessible of this service to the communities,” he said.

This service, he said will assist in the provision of telemedicine services around the country, which he said will enable the doctors through the University of Pennsylvania to make investigations of certain diseases.

He further noted that the construction of Botswana’s first Science and Technology Park was underway. He said the main contractor will be on site by March next year and that the project was scheduled to be built in two years. He said one of the key elements about BIH was that unlike other hubs, it has been constituted as a company as opposed to being part of the government administrative system.

He said part of the mandate of BIH was to contribute to the economic development of the country and its competitiveness by creating some technological and indigenous knowledge based business opportunities to Batswana. Mr Boshwaen said they were currently adding value to existing companies and assisting them on entrepreneurship and technology transfer as well as generating knowledge-based jobs.

He further said it was important to attract new innovative companies to affiliate with BIH setup in order to carry out joint operations. ENDS