Nust, Czech Republic company sign MoU

A FOUR-MEMBER business delegation from the Czech Republic arrived in Bulawayo more than a week ago and yesterday took a major step towards reducing carbon emissions and advancing fuel efficiency with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) under its company, Blue Marble Services.

The main goal of the partnership is to utilise Nust’s new Technovation Centre to develop and implement a ground-breaking fuel additive. The additive, which was designed by the delegation’s head of research and development, Mr Arnost Korinek, is expected to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

The signing ceremony, which was attended by some of Nust’s senior staff members, including Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mqhele Dlodlo, Prof Yogeshkumar Naik and Dr William Msekiwa Goriwondo, marked a crucial step for Nust, particularly with the establishment of its Technovation Centre where the development of the fuel additive will take place.

It is expected that the Czech delegation will collaborate closely with Nust to fully leverage the capabilities of the Technovation Centre to create this transformative fuel additive.

Under the MoU, the Czech delegation has committed to working closely with Nust’s senior executives and staff to ensure that the fuel additive is developed and implemented in a manner that aligns with the country’s Education 5.0 initiative, Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The partnership is one that will contribute significantly to the achievement of these goals and will benefit the people of Zimbabwe in the long run.

The Czech delegation, which comprised Mr Arnost Korinek, Mr Andrew Tilson, Mr Jiri Havrda and Mr Radek Stepanek, and Blue Marble Services chief operating officer, Mr Bukhosi Ncube, expressed optimism about the collaboration and belief in the potential of Nust’s Technovation Centre as well as their commitment to ensuring that the fuel additive is developed and implemented successfully.

Prof Dlodlo said: “This partnership is part of the fruits of Education 5.0. It is in line with Agenda 2063 and the UN SDGs. We will make use of our recently launched Technovation Centre. We are excited about this innovation because it will enable us to reduce our carbon footprint and also bring about our chances of trading our carbon credits on the open market.

“In terms of innovations, this is an innovation that we are buying into. It’s not that all the innovations originate here, other innovations originate elsewhere, like this one from the Czech Republic. We are going to collaborate going forward in bringing it to Zimbabwe and the SADC region in general.”

The fuel additive, developed by Mr Korinek, has undergone extensive testing on various vehicles and has met the harmonised norms and SGS (Internationally recognised certification) testing requirements. The initiative is seen as a significant step in enhancing Zimbabwe’s capacity to trade carbon credits, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability.

Mr Tilson said the dual focus of the project is to improve environmental outcomes and foster local economic growth.

“We are eager to partner with Bulawayo and Zimbabwe as a whole in going green. This initiative will not only help mitigate environmental challenges but also create job opportunities for locals,” he said.

“The Czech delegation chose Zimbabwe due to its proactive approach to tackling climate change and its welcoming environment for innovation.”

Mr Ncube expressed excitement over the partnership, saying there is potential for transformative impacts on the local economy and the environment.

“We chose Nust because it already has the technology innovation centre and we think it’s capable of growing our project. We are very excited for the knowledge exchange that is going to take place between Nust and the Czech Republic, also not forgetting the economic opportunities this will have on the people of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and the region,” he said.

The MoU marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between Czech businesses and Zimbabwean institutions, paving the way for innovative solutions to pressing environmental issues.