On Friday, March 21, officials from government, academia, research institutions and the private sector convened for the launch of the national technology transfer and commercialisation strategy.

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The strategy aims to transform research and innovation into market-ready products, creating jobs and generating financial returns.

Strengthening ties between academia and industry is seen as crucial to achieving this goal.

The strategy has been developed under NCST’s leadership in collaboration with University of Rwanda and stakeholders across the national innovation system through the project entitled” Strengthening National Innovation Ecosystem through development of research and innovation commercialization strategy and facilitation of scaling of selected projects”.

While officially opening the launch, UR Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Finance, Francoise Kayitare Tengera, commended the team behind this strategy, noting that it aligns with Rwanda’s ambition of becoming a knowledge-based economy.

She highlighted that the University of Rwanda will leverage this strategy to produce graduates who will develop innovative solutions to existing community challenges. With this, she said, UR will fulfill its objective of contributing to addressing community needs.

She emphasised that the strategy is very important for Higher Learning Institutions like the University of Rwanda with the ambition to maximise the contribution to the socio-economic development of Rwanda by translating research outputs and innovative ideas into products and services ready for the market.

Dr Eugene Mutimura, the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Science and Technology, said the newly launched technology transfer and commercialisation strategy will help streamline research and innovation efforts in Rwanda.

"This strategy provides a framework to consolidate existing initiatives, ensuring that research and innovation translate into tangible, entrepreneurial projects that create jobs and drive economic growth,” Mutimura said.

"We have moved beyond basic research to more academic-industry collaboration. With continued funding, we can expand opportunities for innovation and economic development.”

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He noted that Rwanda&039;s research ecosystem is growing, with increasing numbers of researchers.

While the ideal benchmark is 30 researchers per one million people, continued collaboration between the government, private sector, and academia is expected to strengthen the country’s innovation landscape.

"All current research is funded, but we are primarily focusing on technology and innovations that generate jobs,” he said, citing applications such as improved fertilisers and nutrient-enriched flour to combat malnutrition.

Theophile Nyonzima, Associate Professor of Environmental Geography at University of Rwanda and acting director of the Center for Promotion of Entrepreneurship, emphasised that while technology transfer has taken place in Rwanda, a coordinated strategy was lacking.

"This policy was missing, and there is a clear need for coordination in the journey of technology transfer and commercialisation,” Nyonzima said. "With this strategy, we expect to see a real difference.”

Funding remains a critical factor, he added, with expectations that resources will come from multiple sources, including the government, donors, and industries. "There must be a strong mobilisation of funds to ensure the strategy’s success,” he said.

Asked about the strategy’s impact on universities and students, Nyonzima highlighted its role in strengthening innovation and skill development.

"Higher education institutions play a big role in innovation and we expect our startups to bring forward new products,” he said.

"This strategy will help transfer research results from universities to the market, while also enhancing skills in technology transfer and improving infrastructure for innovation. It will not only help us develop skilled professionals and better infrastructure but also provide clear steps for innovation development and commercialisation.”

Prof. Damien Hanyurwimfura, Acting Director of the African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things(ACEIoT) at the University of Rwanda and the Project Lead, appreciated the strategy development team for their effort, commitment and sleepless nights that contributed to the success of strategy development. He thanked their institutions for allowing them to participate in desk review, meetings and workshops that resulted in the strategy.

After the presentation of strategy to participants, different stakeholders commended the strategy and ensured their commitments and support in its implementation.

The Head of Head of Department- Technology Acquisition, Transfer and Commercialisation at NIRDA, Emmanuel Mutabazi, elaborated on NIRDA’s role in the implementing the strategy and how it aligns with its mandate. He emphasised that this alignment would facilitate NIRDA’s effective participation in the strategy implementation. He concluded his presentation by requesting other institutions present to collaborate for the successful execution of the strategy.

The Director of National Research at the Ministry of finance, Kevin Sebineza, presented the ministry’s role in supporting research and innovation. He highlighted that one of its key mandates is to promote commercialisation of research and innovation outputs and job creation. He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting the strategy’s implementation.

Alex Ntale, the CEO of ICT Chamber who represented the Private Sector Federation (PSF), highlighted the importance of the private sector’s involvement in the technology transfer ecosystem. He emphasised that the private sector is not only a consumer of technology, but also plays a role in developing technology in the collaboration with higher education and research institutions

The technology transfer and commercialisation strategy dissemination workshop were characterised by the presentations and exhibition of some innovative projects from UR faculty and students that have potential for commercialisation. Those are two students and two faculty from 18 projects that have been supported to scale their projects towards the commercialisation.

The Principal of the College of Science and Technology, Assoc. Prof. Ignace Gatare, in his closing remarks thanked everyone who contributed to and participated in the development of the strategy. He urged innovators to take advantage of this strategy, develop new innovations, and increase the number of prototypes ready for commercialisation.