The Botswana Innovation Hub is expected to step up its public campaign by taking its people-centred initiative to the country’s second city of Francistown this week. The move will provide an update on current developments in a set up known as BIH ‘Innovation Day’.
The Director for Marketing, Registration and ICT, Dr Geoffrey Seleka, said they will share with the public opportunities for empowerment purposes.
The campaign will be a chance for stakeholder engagement and networking platform for the innovation savvy in the northern part of the country.
“We are targeting Batswana at large. In addition to that, Innovation day is targeting, local and international companies, academic research institutes, indigenous knowledge innovators, and advanced training institutions, the youth and innovators, within the four focus areas of ICT, Mining, Biotechnologies and Energy and Environment,” said Seleka.
Key players to take part in the event include registered BIH member companies, partners as well as potential property development partners and Icon building tenants, the youth and general public.
Innovation Day will update participating companies on BIH offerings, which include products and services. These updates include critical milestones achieved so far, upcoming events and initiatives where opportunities to collaborate with the BIH and its partners will be availed.
“The event will also create a platform for participating companies to initiate dialogue with the BIH on a broader platform that extends beyond one-on-one interface or closed email discussions allowing an opportunity to bring other with similar issues to come on board,” he said.
The Botswana Innovation Hub, which is under development, is to be a national center of excellence for innovation in key priority areas – being ICT, Mining Technology, Bio-Technology, and Energy/Environment.
Key tenants include focus on quick-wins such as technology transfer, attracting hi-tech organisations, and capacity development components as evidenced by its partnerships with organisations such as Microsoft Corporation, Southern African Innovation Support (SAIS) Programme, and Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED).
The hub hopes that its clients and members of the public can benefit from their innovation development programmes.
To date, BIH has established a technology entrepreneurship development programme, an initiative that focuses on mentoring and coaching technology startups within its four focus sectors in mining, Clean-Tech, Bio-Tech, and ICT.
