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Sifelani Tsiko, Innovations Editor
VERIFY Engineering, a technology development company under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, was judged the overall winner of the second Presidential Innovation Fair at a ceremony held in Harare on Wednesday.
President Mnangagwa presented Verify Engineering with a trophy, certificate and a prize money of USD$50 000.
University of Zimbabwe and the National University of Science and Technology were the first and second runners-up respectively.
The UZ was awarded with a trophy, certificate and a prize money of US$30 000 while NUST was awarded with a trophy, certificate and a US$20 000 cash prize.
A total of six institutions vied for this top award.
There were a total of 22 categories in this year’s Presidential Innovation Fair.
Verify Engineering won in several categories for its innovative research outputs which have reached commercialisation stages.
The company has been at the forefront of cutting edge innovations with research outputs that have spurred entrepreneurship, modernisation and industrialisation.
Verify Engineering now produces ultra-pure oxygen for medical use and local production will not only allow the country to save foreign currency but also earn it through exports.
In addition to this, the company has ventured into the production of lithium batteries, responding to President Mnangagwa’s call for value addition and beneficiation of minerals to maximise benefits for the country.
Verify Engineering was formed in April 2005 and has undergone rapid advancement under the Second Republic, becoming a major developer and applier of technology in Zimbabwe.
All this aligns with the national vision of value addition and mineral beneficiation.
“It is not enough for us to talk about having abundant minerals and other natural endowments without translating these into tangible products,” said President Mnangagwa in his keynote address at the Fair.
“Through the innovations we are witnessing, you have distilled the meaning of ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatirwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo’. These must help the nation unlock value from our abundant natural resources.”
The President urged innovators to be proud of themselves and come up with inward looking solutions that address some of the country’s development needs.
“We are running our own race for the benefit of none but ourselves,” he said. “Donhai rute nezvamugadzira moga.”
The Presidential Innovation Fair brought together exhibitors from higher and tertiary education, innovation, science and technology institutions, Government and private institutions to exhibit innovations that are market-ready or are already at commercialisation stage and making significant interventions to meet the needs and challenges of Zimbabwean citizens.
This fair seeks to build and reinforce a thriving innovation ecosystem through exhibitions and expos of current work from universities through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development institutions, Government and private institutions as well as private individuals based locally and in the Diaspora.
It sought to attract venture capital from both local and international sources and create an environment that permits ideas sharing, benchmarking and standardisation of innovation initiatives within the institutions.
Online Reporter