Commercializing research and innovation should become Uganda’s priority if the country is to transform scientific discoveries into businesses, jobs and economic growth, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, has said. Speaking after touring innovation and research activities at Makerere University, Asiimwe said the ministry is shifting its focus from research conducted solely for academic publication to innovations that solve real market challenges and generate income.
He said President Yoweri Museveni has tasked the ministry with contributing to Uganda’s ambition of building a 500-billion-dollar economy by supporting scientists, researchers and innovators to develop market-ready products. Asiimwe noted that universities remain the country’s leading source of research and innovation but observed that many promising student and academic projects fail to progress into viable businesses.
To address this, he said the ministry will work closely with universities, research institutions, private-sector innovators and manufacturers to identify commercially viable innovations and support their journey to the market. He added that strengthening intellectual property protection will be a key priority to help innovators safeguard their inventions, attract investment and ensure innovators, universities and government benefit from commercialization. The minister also urged researchers to focus on solving real-world challenges rather than conducting research for academic purposes alone.
He emphasized that innovation is not reserved for scientists, saying anyone with ideas that improve products, services or processes can contribute to Uganda’s development. Asiimwe further pledged to continue visiting universities, research centres, factories and innovation hubs across the country to assess ongoing work, understand existing challenges and align innovation with the government’s economic transformation agenda.
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said the institution is aligning its research agenda to tackle pressing national and global challenges, including climate change, food security, rapid population growth, emerging diseases, energy, natural resource conflicts and curriculum decolonization. He said the university’s strategic priorities include strengthening research, promoting innovation in teaching and learning, ensuring professional and inclusive management, and expanding partnerships with industry, communities and international institutions.
Despite increased enrolment in graduate and postgraduate programmes, Nawangwe acknowledged that the university still faces a shortage of professors. He said Makerere currently has 101 professors, 140 associate professors, 274 senior lecturers, 508 lecturers and 388 assistant lecturers. He highlighted the university’s extensive network of research centres specializing in infectious diseases, artificial intelligence, climate change, agriculture, renewable energy, biotechnology, transportation technologies, public health, governance, economics and biodiversity conservation.
Nawangwe said Makerere is increasingly focusing on translating research into products, technologies and public policies through the Makerere University Technology and Innovation Centre (MUTIC), which supports innovation hubs, business incubation, prototyping and commercialization. He added that MUTIC is open not only to Makerere students and staff but also to innovators from across Uganda seeking support to develop and commercialize their ideas.
During the tour, innovators appealed for increased government funding and called for stronger collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies to accelerate the adoption and rollout of locally developed innovations-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
