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By Ross Moyo
With University of Zimbabwe (UZ) boasting of having one of the biggest innovation hubs in Africa, its Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Hodson Makurira, has revealed one of the world’s top scientific and technological institutions cannot wait to sell plenty of its innovations to the upcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit.
This comes after senior Government officials toured UZ to assess the institution’s readiness to host President Mnangagwa’s public lecture next month as part of the summit fixture.
Prof Makurira said they will showcase the innovations that they have as part of the UZ community.
“We are proud of our innovations. I think you have visited our innovation hub. It’s one of the biggest in the country,” he said.
“There are a number of exciting innovations, start-up companies that have come through our students’ projects, innovations and also supported by our partners across the country. There is a window for exhibitions for innovations, we are very excited and looking forward to showcasing our innovations.
“We have already started exporting some of our innovations and this is an opportunity to widen that horizon, we are very excited to take advantage of the opportunity of the SADC Summit,” added the Pro-Vice Chancellor.
This comes as there is plenty of traffic concerning innovation hubs preparedness for the Sadc exhibition.
The country’s innovation hubs have taken off and are performing well, giving a foundation for industrialisation to be exhibited during during the SADC Summit next month.
The UZ Pro-Vice Chancellor Makurira also said they are up to speed ahead of the summit.The innovation hubs, are the brainchild of President Mnangagwa’s Second Republic who seek to lay incubators from which ideas and science-based solutions can be nurtured to answer national economic challenges including stopping the country from looking beyond borders for finished products, while at the same time exporting raw materials thus very little contributed back to source.
Value addition has become President Mnangagwa’s obsession considering even basic services, were being outsourced dampening the country’s industrialisation quest.
President Mnangagwa changed this narrative after he tasked Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Professor Amon Murwira to champion innovation hubs in all tertiary institutions to the point that Zimbabwe will develop on its resources and use local expertise.
It is these innovation hubs that have cut the country’s export bill in several sectors which will surge once they get into mass production.
“The highlight will be the public lecture that will be delivered by Head of State and Chancellor, President Mnangagwa,” said Prof Makurira.
“We are very excited that the President will be here with his colleagues from the region and for us to host the President and his visitors is an honour. We are very grateful to play that role on behalf of other tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe.”
“We will be looking for partnerships and growing our exports as well as our innovations, we are also willing to commercialise some,” added the UZ boss.
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