adminInnocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe needs to incorporate business and financial literacy in its education curriculum in order to drive innovation by strengthening links among higher education, research and business, a senior Government official has said. In a speech read on his behalf by Dr Judith Kateera — the permanent secretary for Presidential Affairs, Monitoring and Implementation of Government programmes — at a workshop at the Research Council of Zimbabwe yesterday, Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Colonel Christian Katsande (Retired) said linking players within the National Science Technology and Innovation System (NSTIS) remains complex.
Yesterday’s workshop was titled; “The Rapid Results Approach: 100 Days, End of Term Report Back Workshop”.
NSTIS is premised on generating local scientific knowledge for wealth creation.
“The system itself comprises, inter alia, three pillars, namely: funders, knowledge generation and users of research results and each with its own expectations and complexities.
“The signing of Memorandum of Understandings between industry and academia is a good start,” he said.
“The collaborations that lay dormant have been revived and should begin to bear fruit. Partnerships have been brokered by various institutions for example, Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe and Mupfure College, TelOne and Harare Institute of Technology, National University of Science Technology and Bindura University of Science Education, respectively.”
He said while the drive towards commercialisation was commendable, there was need to accelerate innovation.
Processes, he said, are important, but they should not turn into bureaucratic hurdles.
“It is these synergies between Scientific Industrial and Research and Development Centre and IDCZ that make economy tick. With continued smart partnerships and linkages, there is potential to build world-class industrial parks in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“Our African counterparts, Ethiopia, have done it. They have built what is now the largest industrial park in Africa, bringing in a lot of positive spillover benefits to the economy. Models such as that of Hawasa City Park in Ethiopia should be emulated and Zimbabwe will surely occupy its niche in the global economy.”
Col Katsande (Rtd) said following progress reports on the initiative, particularly during the mid-term review, the challenge of Intellectual Property (IP) was coming out strong.
He said it was imperative for the country to work speedily towards the launch of the National Intellectual Property Policy for protection of intellectual rights.
“The policy should accelerate technology transfer and commercialisation of research and development.
“While these first 100 days will come to an end, we, as the governance leadership, remain ready, willing and able to continue supporting the efforts honestly, meticulously and judiciously.”
He said active advocacy for increased research and development will also remain one of the key priorities.
Online Reporter