The Assistant Manager of Makerere University’s Innovation and Incubation Centre, Dr. Margaret Nagwovuma, has challenged innovators to identify their unique strengths and use them to position their products in an increasingly competitive market.
Nagwovuma says that although many innovators enter the market every year, only a few manage to survive because they fail to differentiate their products from others. She says innovators need to identify the unique value in their ideas to attract consumers and create sustainable markets.
“There might be several innovators in the irrigation sector, but what is that unique thing embedded in your creativity for the world to embrace? Those unique aspects are the ones that create markets for the young innovators to thrive in the industry,” she said.
She also emphasized the importance of branding, saying that how a product is presented can influence consumer perception even before they interact with it. Nagwovuma further urged innovators to form partnerships with established players in their respective industries instead of working in isolation.
She said such partnerships can help innovators access markets, funding, and expertise needed to transform prototypes into commercially viable products. She revealed that Makerere University’s Innovation and Incubation Centre has partnered with the TVET Council and is encouraging innovators to seek support on how to develop their ideas into market-ready solutions.
Nagwovuma assured innovators that the centre prioritizes the protection of intellectual property to safeguard innovations from piracy and fraud. Meanwhile, William Matovu, the Heifer International Uganda Country Director, has called on young people aged between 18 and 35 years to participate in the Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYUTE) Africa Challenge.
Matovu said the initiative provides more than competition by offering young innovators mentorship, market linkages, and partnerships to grow their agricultural innovations. He said Uganda’s future food systems depend on young people developing solutions to address challenges faced by farmers.
“Uganda’s future food systems will be shaped by young people who are bold enough to reimagine agriculture and develop solutions that address the real challenges faced by farmers,” Matovu said. He added that through AYUTE, innovators are supported with resources and networks to transform ideas into scalable businesses that create jobs, improve livelihoods, and strengthen agricultural systems-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
