BIH�s mammoth task of priming homegrown innovators :: Mmegi Online

This year Botswana hosted the 5th Annual Innovation Prize Awards (IPA) held under the theme ‘Made in Africa’ organised by Africa Innovation Foundation. The objective of the awards was to strengthen African innovation ecosystems and spur the growth of African innovative market-oriented solutions to African challenges. Despite the Botswana Innovation Hub’s efforts of holding awareness workshops across the country prior to the ceremony, only a handful of Batswana participated. On top of that, none of them made it to the top ten as most of their innovations were deemed not to be commercially viable. BusinessWeek Staff Writer PAULINE DIKUELO sat down with the hub’s CEO, Alan Boshwaen to get an insight on the advantages of hosting the awards as well as progress made in trying to become a fully-fledged innovation hub

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.

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