The Minister of Science Technology and Innovation in the Office of the President Dr. Monica Musenero has opened a well attended National Science ,Technology and Innovation Exhibition at Kololo Independence grounds with call on Ugandans to embrace Ugandan made products in a concerted push for industrialization.
This year’s National Science Technology and Innovation week, exhibition is running under the theme “The Future of STI in Uganda: Breaking the Silos and Leveraging Synergies for a Skilled and Sustainable Workforce for National Economic Transformation”.
” We chose this theme because it aligned with the ongoing efforts to address some of the constraining fragmentation, silos and gaps that have characterized STI in the country. It also reflects the progress so far made in building synergies to create a well-coordinated National Science, Technology and Innovation System focused on a common prioritized agenda,” Dr. Musenero explained .
The World Science Day for Peace and Development is annually celebrated on 10th November globally. It was initiated by the United Nations Education and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a bid to recognize and promote Science and Technology in the advancement of societies since 1937.
The exhibition at Kololo which has attracted over 50 of Uganda’s finest innovators across six Industrial Value Chains followed the first ever -colourful -green mobility industrial value chain motor parade which was staged around the capital Kampala as part of the Science week.
The motor parade involved Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC Uganda’s automotive industry champion, Tondeka Metro- Bus Service , Zembo and International University of East Africa who are spearheading-electric motorcycle transport in and around Kampala ,other cities and urban centers.
The parade was flagged- off by the Minister of Science , Technology and Innovation in the Office of the President Dr. Monica Musenero . She was accompanied by the Kiira Motors Board of Directors Chairman ,Prof. Sandy Steven Tickodri-Togoboa and the Mr. Fred Senoga a Director at Tondeka Metro Bus Service.
Dr. Musenero highlighted the objectives for this year’s Science Week-which include showcasing- the existing scientific innovations (prototypes), human resource, equipment and natural resources in the country for synergy formation to increase productivity through value chain adoption.
Other objectives are to create awareness about the new National STI Innovations System including the Think-tanks, Secretariat, the industrial value chain approach, hackathons, multi-sectoralism, Intellectual Property, and focus on industrialization and commercialization.
The NSW is also meant to advocate for increased government and stakeholder collaboration in commercialization of R&D and science education at all levels of learning; promote domestic scientific literature, publications and books towards a knowledge-based economy.
Those attending the Science Week include the academia, researchers, Business community, students, Community innovators and other professionals from across the country .
The Science week will close tomorrow November 10,2021 –which is also the Science Day where President Yoweri Museveni- a strong advocate of Uganda’s industrial agenda is expected to be the guest of honour and preside over the 1st Uganda Sceince Innovators Awards 2021.
The Awards are premised along six priority industrial value chains which are Pathogen Economy( vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, biomedical ICT, Equipment and Materials); Agro-Security Economy ( showcases innovations designed to drive the next generation of the agro economy- which include – innovation and technology in agro processing, agribusiness, soil conservation, agriculture technologies, food preservation and safety applications among others. )
Others are – Beauty and Apparel ( Innovators with innovations in cosmetology and textile processing –plus- innovations in skincare products and hair products for cosmetics as well as fabric and thread production, fabric recycling, textile production technology and value addition for existing raw materials.)
The Engineering Economy represents the advancements and vision of engineering technology in renewable energy, mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering as well as civil engineering and chemical engineering interalia.
The Digital Economy which is about information and communication technologies and applications that ease transmission and knowledge dissemination.
The Mobility Economy showcases the innovations that augment the national mobility ecosystem conceived to develop, make, sell and/or use sustainable mobility solutions. These include but are not limited to production of Vehicles in Uganda being championed by industry leaders-Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC); Auto Parts/ Systems and Digital Mobility Solutions.
