18 Dec 2024

The success of the University Innovation POD (UniPod) will position Botswana as a recognisable contributor to cutting edge innovation that provide solutions to the many challenges that bedevil the world. 

Speaking during the UniPod launch in Gaborone on Monday, the Assistant Minister of Higher Education, Mr Justin Hunyepa said Botswana ranked 87^th among the 133 economies featured in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, pointing the pursuance of the UniPod initiative would help improve the ranking by transforming the innovation space in Botswana. 

Mr Hunyepa highlighted that the UniPod mission was to bridge the gap between academia and the industry, fostering a dynamic innovation ecosystem where students, researchers, the community, research luminaries and industry partners could collaborate to address pressing challenges and seize new opportunities. 

“The ideas generated within the UniPod have the potential to significantly improve the lives of citizens such as in agriculture technology, health and the environment and work towards sustainable solutions that benefit all,” he said. 

Mr Hunyepa further said the UniPod would offer an opportunity for all Batswana with ideas and concepts to gain access to modern equipment to experiment with initial concepts; create prototypes and gain access to markets at scale while protecting their intellectual property. Furthermore, he said UniPod offers state-of-the-art facilities and high tech equipment to facilitate and accelerate entrepreneurs and innovators journey from a commercially viable concept to market ready products and services. 

He hailed the partnership between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in collaboration with the Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation, the Ministry of Higher Education and the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) as a worthy development that created a space where collaboration and innovation could thrive. 

For her part, the UNDP Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Africa, Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie, highlighted that the UniPod initiative platform sought to engage young people in solving various global challenges, often focusing on areas such as education, sustainability, social equity, and innovation. Ms Eziakonwa-Onochie underscored that the youth were a crucial part of the solution because of their potential to bring fresh perspectives, creative ideas, and energy to problem solving. 

She said through the UniPod initiative, young people would be empowered to participate in solutions by creating a space for them to learn, share ideas, collaborate and lead efforts in shaping a better future. She emphasised the potential of Africa’s youth and tech entrepreneurs to drive advancements across the continent. 

University of Botswana Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, said the establishment of the UniPod was testament to the university’s unwavering devotion to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology advancement, adding that the pod would serve as a beacon of creativity and a catalyst for economic growth, providing young minds with the resources and the support they needed to transform their ideas into impactful solutions. ENDS