By James Wakahiu
A new innovation and research centre has been launched at Mount Kenya University (MKU), boosting Kenyan youth looking for support to develop their technologies and ideas into world class innovations.
MKU Vice Chancellor Prof Deogratius Jaganyi said the university’s research and innovation grants provided earlier have already produced world-class ideas, some of which have already been commercialized by the beneficiaries.
“Research and development played a key role in the meteoric rise of Asian economies such as China, India and Korea. They invested heavily in research and development to support their innovations,” he said.
The Mount Kenya Innovation and Incubation Hub was officially opened last weekend in the college’s main campus in Thika town by Benson Muthendi, acting Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund.
“Kenya’s economic growth is largely as a result of the translation of ideas, knowledge, and skills into products, services, and processes. The country’s continued economic competitiveness and sustainable development have been achieved by intensifying technological innovations,” he said.
The centre, which was co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union through the African Higher Education Leadership for Advancing Inclusive Innovation for Development (AHEAD) project, is intended to support the life cycle of innovations from inception to market diffusion and commercialization.
It will enable scientific findings, knowledge and intellectual property to flow from creators to the benefit of the community.
The centre will admit its first cohort of 20 finalists out of a recently released call for innovation challenge 2022. The innovations will be incubated for six months at MKU’s Innovation and Incubation Centre and receive a support value of up to Ksh2 million for all innovations.
The incubation package will include access to the facility, customized coaching by experts, access to state-of-the art equipment and assistance in intellectual property protection and commercialization.
MKU founder and Board chairman Dr Simon Gicharu said MKU is a research-based university and that the centre will support collaboration, idea generation and value creation.
The hub is expected to offer a creative environment to unlock infinite opportunities for innovations that may be disruptive or incremental in nature from ideation to commercialization.
MKU Pro-Chancellor Dr Vincent Gaitho said the launch marks a great milestone in the university’s commitment to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing a platform for innovation, especially SDG 9 on “Industries, Innovation & Infrastructure.”
He said the high unemployment rate among youths graduating from higher institutions of learning calls for more innovative ways that enhance productivity and demand for an enlightened labour force.
