BIH�s mammoth task of priming homegrown innovators
Pauline Dikuelo | Friday October 14, 2016 16:46
BusinessWeek: What were the advantages of being a host country to the IPA?
Boshwaen: Hosting the awards have come up with many advantages, which include gaining international exposure thus making the local innovations to be more fundable internationally. The awards have also put the spotlight on the work that the hub is doing as well as other players in the industry.
We have also managed to create networks and have worked with World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to create proper policy that will enable local innovators to measure whether there is IP in their creations. We have also created links with the Africa Innovation Fund, which will help in ways of making local innovations fundable and will be incorporating some of their practices to help develop the local innovations.
BusinessWeek: How did the IPA enhance Botswana Innovation Hub scalability?
Boshwaen: It has helped us create international collaborations with organisations that help upscale the creativity of our local innovators to compete in the international arena. The reason why our innovators did not make it to the top 10 was because their ideas could not be commercialised. They had very interesting ideas, which needed to be commercialised hence the reason why we have learnt that we need to link the original ideas that local innovators have with business so that they can be able to compete globally.
BusinessWeek: What progress has BIH made post the 2016 IPA?
Boshwaen: Since the awards, we have been very busy with local innovators and have signed several agreements with some organisations especially in the ICT industry in the best interests of our innovation. We also have been utilising the existing incubation, which we feel is important for innovators like the technology entrepreneur systems, which already is assisting more than 50 start-up innovation companies.
The hub is also acquiring technology outside that can be customised like for example water technology treatment.
BusinessWeek: What kind of initiative has BIH taken to encourage homegrown innovators?
Boshwaen: There are several initiatives taken to improve the homegrown innovation, which include engaging international professors, to help turn the homegrown innovation into business. For example, in the past three months we have been working with the community in a small village near Ghanzi called Dakar where we have been helping them to use cutting edge engineering design methods to produce grass cutter as well as a washing machine that uses the sun. We have also been working with researchers, community and professors to help develop homegrown innovation so that they can get the exposure and compete internationally.
BusinessWeek: Is Botswana on its way to be a technology Hub?
Boshwaen: It is a long journey but was pleased that through the collaborations we did with the WEF we actually made progress at some of the pillars of being a technology hub. The pillar includes capacity for innovation, which has shown that Botswana has improved, compared to the past three to four years.
BusinessWeek: What’s next for Botswana when it comes to heightening technology advancement?
Boshwaen: We have also been embarking on collaborations with universities and industry leaders as well as researchers to help develop innovation in the country. In addition, Botswana is one of the leading members of International Association of Science Park and variety of associations, which enable collaborations with technology hub in Africa and beyond which helps local innovators to penetrate the international markets. This month we have signed an agreement with the Korea Advancement Institute of Science and Technology, which through it, will be reaching out to the people here to collaborate with Koreans to enhance their innovation.
BusinessWeek: When is the park going to be complete and when are you launching the Innovation Fund?
Boshwaen: We anticipate the Science and Technology Park to be complete in the first quarter of 2017. Remember there are several buildings there, which include private and public. About the innovation fund, progress has been made and I think possibly through the new ministry this long outstanding initiative can be launched after being delayed by legal and regulatory issues that needed to be resolved.