MUST launches Innovation Garage; partners CAT, NPC, TEVETA in implementing MW2063 industrialization pillar
As one way of ensuring that the MW2063 national vision’s industrialization pillar is achieved, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and launched a new Innovation Garage which will be used in implementing various innovations at the campus.
The Innovation Garage, which has been launched in partnership with different institutions such as Centre for Agricultural Transformation (CAT), National Planning Commission (NPC), Press Trust, Nkhotakota District Council, Technical Entrepreneurial Vocational, Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) aims at coming together to explore ways of collaborations in the efforts to implement innovations which will later benefit Malawi.
Speaking during the launch of the Innovation Garage at the University’s campus at Goliati in Thyolo, which was also followed by an ‘Innovation Partnership Dialogue’ among the partners, MUST Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Jonathan Makuwira said the Innovation Garage stands as a national entity as it will be a centre where students, communities members of staff will be using in coming up with innovation thinking and ideas that can advance industrialization to innovate so that in the end they contribute to pillar 2 of MW2063 agenda through linkages.
Makuwira said through the garage, every good ideas made, will be commercialized and contribute to the national development.
“The whole idea and purpose of introducing this innovation centre is to ensure that whenever people have ideas they shouldn’t be going to the public and share them publicly but be protected for an intellectual property process and implemented at the garage and make sure they are supported benefit from it,” Makuwira said.
CAT Executive Director, Macloud Nkhoma, said the partnership made with MUST will play a big role in a number of areas towards the development of the country.
Nkhoma said apart from the interventions being done by CAT at MUST which aims at building capacity of the University by focusing on agricultural productivity, diversification and commercialization, the launching of the Innovation Garage will also contribute a lot in helping in agriculture area particularly smallholder farmers to improve their farming methods.
“As we are all aware that Malawi is agro-based economy and agriculture is one of the important sector, we therefore need to have people that are innovating in the sector so that we improve the livelihoods of our farmers and the country in general,” he said.
On his part, NPC Research Manager, Andrew Jamali described the partnership and Innovation Garage launch as a strategic in providing guidance on medium and long term visions of the country, saying without innovation there will be no much industrialization.
