04 Aug 2024

Attaining a knowledge based economy and the development of the manufacturing and service sectors as prototypes/designs are first generation of what could become a scalable enterprise, says Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, Mr Thulagano Segokgo.

Speaking at the University of Botswana Design Degree Show in Gaborone recently, Mr Segokgo said protecting intellectual property was an important aspect of the journey to promote research, development, innovation and commercialisation.

He said the manufacturing sector had potential to contribute more to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding however, that there was a need to re-look at the cause of the stagnant growth of the sector.

Mr Segokgo further said with a strong and vibrant design industry, he was confident that manufacturing could be taken to greater heights and increase its contribution to the GDP. 

The minister said government was  addressing issues of pollution and waste management, because landfills were a challenge to manage and had become a source of pollution.

He said they could learn from the Great Recovery Project of the United Kingdom of 2012 to 2016 which looked at the challenges of waste and opportunities of a secular economy through the lens of design.

“There is literally gold in waste. Creative minds should translate this waste into products and promote circulatory products usage,” he said. He said as a university department tasked with cultivating innovation and creativity they were ready for the task.

Mr Segokgo said, coupled with the ministry’s mandate of setting policy and standards, communication, knowledge utilization, research, science and technology in Botswana, he was confident to say the event could be a future innovation forum for potential innovators seeking partnerships in Botswana for solutions which could solve both local and international needs.

Speaking about the show which is in its fourth year, University of Botswana Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris said the university, other institutions and many others might have failed to create a conducive environment to nurture and tap on to power of talent that could have transformed the economy of the country.

He also said UB had taken a deliberate course in its strategic direction to be involved in the value chain of research and innovation. 

“We are going to do what we call Blue Sky research, basic research, applied research, product development, product development, prototype development, all the way to commercialisation of our products,” he said.

He said they had products coming out of their laboratories, from staff and students, which were ready for mass production and commercialisation. 

Prof. Norris said the university’s innovation centre was doing extremely well and was open to all, adding that the level of activity at the centre was remarkable.

He said it was important that they formed an economic ecosystem of innovation in the country; where government, industry, civil society and institutions of higher learning partnered and came together to form the innovation ecosystem.

 Professor Norris  further said it was commendable that the ministry had availed over a P1 billion to drive research, adding that some of the money should be used to build necessary infrastructure supporting research.

He said UB had laboratories that it wanted to accredit, which might not be possible because they might not be at a level where they could be accredited by various international bodies, hence the funds will come in handy.

“Orapa Mine uses close to P1 billion on analysis of their rock samples, water samples and they take all that to South Africa and other countries when we could be doing all that analysis in our institutions here,” he said. Ends