Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
INSTITUTIONS under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development have been challenged to strengthen financial management, improve accountability and commercialise research to generate tangible economic benefits.
The call was made by Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Frederick Shava during the Ministry’s 2027 strategic review workshop in Masvingo yesterday.
In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Minister Simelisizwe Sibanda, Minister Shava said the Ministry must ensure public resources were channelled towards national development priorities while improving institutional leadership, governance and service delivery.
He said the implementation of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) required the Ministry to move beyond planning and ensure that investments in education, research and innovation translated into industrial growth, employment creation and economic development.
“Our focus must now move from planning to implementation and from innovation to commercialisation,” said Minister Shava.
He said partnerships with industry, development partners, friendly nations and the Zimbabwean diaspora were essential to technology transfer, investment mobilisation, research collaboration and capacity development. Minister Shava outlined four strategic pillars to guide the Ministry’s work, with human capital development remaining central to building a skilled workforce capable of supporting the country’s economic transformation.
In 2027, the Ministry intends to expand the Integrated Skills Expansion Outreach Programme (ISEOP) to all districts while strengthening training in strategic sectors such as agro-processing, renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
Other priorities include addressing shortages of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers, closing critical skills gaps and fully operationalising the national qualifications and credentials platform. The Ministry also seeks to increase female participation in STEM disciplines and innovation programmes while equipping graduates with practical, entrepreneurial and innovation skills.
“Our objective is to produce graduates who are not merely job seekers, but creators of jobs and opportunities,” said Minister Shava.
On research and innovation, he said investments in innovation hubs, industrial parks and research infrastructure must deliver measurable economic returns.
Minister Shava challenged universities, colleges and polytechnics to move publicly funded innovations beyond the prototype stage and develop marketable products, services and viable enterprises.
Institutions must strengthen partnerships with industry and investors to ensure that research addresses national priorities and contributes directly to industrial development and employment creation, he said.
Minister Shava also highlighted rural industrialisation as a key component of the Ministry’s development agenda, citing the Mutoko Bio-Economy Industrial Park as an example of how innovation can stimulate economic activity in rural communities.
He said every province should advance at least one viable industrialisation initiative under the Hub and Spoke Model in 2027.
The model is expected to strengthen links between innovation hubs, industry and export markets, helping rural communities unlock their productive potential and participate more fully in economic growth.
Minister Shava said the success of the ministry’s strategic plan would depend on effective implementation, sound financial management, transparency, accountability and strong partnerships.
