When Presenting the committee of supply speech recently, the Minister of Infrastructure Science and Technology, Nonofo Molefhi said BIH had forged a partnership with the Department of Information Technology to build an integrated Government Data Centre within the Science and Technology park in Gaborone park on turnkey basis. “BIH continue to scale up existing strategic partnerships to foster technology entrepreneurship and innovation in identified priority sectors. A project committee has been instituted to oversee this strategic facility,” he said. These partnerships include Southern African Innovation Support Programme (SAIS), Technology Transfer Office, Microsoft Innovation Centre (MIC), Clean Tech Centre, and First Steps Venture Centre (FSVC).
Current innovation support initiatives are focused on the creation of local ICT content and linkages, the construction of a Solar Testing and Demonstration Facility to promote the wider use of solar technology. Molefhi said the ministry is in the process of strengthening coordination and monitoring of the Research, Science, Technology and Innovation (RSTI) in an effort to ensure its contribution to diversification of the economy.
