Minister Asiimwe begins Makerere visit to push research commercialisation and innovation
During the visit, the minister is engaging researchers, innovators, university leaders, students and industry stakeholders to identify practical ways of transforming scientific research into market-ready products, technologies and enterprises.
The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, has commenced the second day of his official visit to Makerere University, focusing on strengthening research, innovation, commercialisation and strategic partnerships to support Uganda’s science and technology agenda.
During the visit, the minister is engaging researchers, innovators, university leaders, students and industry stakeholders to identify practical ways of transforming scientific research into market-ready products, technologies and enterprises.
The discussions are centred on key areas including biomedical research, genomics, diagnostics, infectious diseases, One Health, medical technologies, technology transfer and enterprise development.
Eng. Asiimwe said Uganda’s future development depends on the ability to turn local scientific knowledge into solutions that address national challenges, especially in healthcare and industrial growth.
“A nation cannot secure its future by perpetually importing answers to problems its own scientists have the capacity to solve,” he said.
The minister challenged universities to move beyond academic publications and become engines of innovation, industrialisation and economic transformation.
He noted that research institutions should serve as laboratories of discovery and launchpads for enterprises built on home-grown knowledge, where ideas move from laboratories to clinics, industries and markets.
The visit is part of government efforts to strengthen Uganda’s innovation ecosystem, create jobs and accelerate socio-economic transformation through science, technology and innovation.
