Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
VICE President Constantino Chiwenga has called on the industry to utilize the innovative talent at the country’s universities and technical colleges in order to solve whatever operational problem them may be facing in their operations.
The Vice President said this in an interview after touring various stands, many of them exhibiting innovative displays, at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre today.
Vice President Chiwenga said what was now required is a collaboration and proper integration between industry and institutions of higher education.
“What I have seen is what we are advocating. We want our institutions to get involved with students who are in these universities across the country, use their talents. And we have seen quite a lot of innovative ideas, some which are in the initial stage, but some which are already at the finishing stage, almost ready to go for commercialization,” Vice President Chiwenga said.
He said Government wants to see the industry going to the universities and technical colleges, with their problems, be it manufacturing or be it an industrial setup and present to the tertiary institutions.
“Industry must be able to say to these institutions, this is what I would want to achieve. And then give it to the students, rather than the students just to dream and have something on their own which maybe not fit in the current industrial setup and this is what we have been promoting,” said VP Chiwenga.
The Vice President also challenged the private sector to be proactive and fund the innovations since they will be the major beneficiaries of the finished products.
“When I opened the business forum yesterday and went to the research council in Zimbabwe I said the private sector, the industry itself, must now come on board because they are the beneficiaries and they must sponsor, not for Government alone to carry the burden because it is them who are going to benefit, they must sponsor the talented students and then the students do what they are supposed to do,” said VP Chiwenga.
