The Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation – Office of the President (STI-OP), led by the Hon. Minister, Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, conducted a strategic engagement with Gulu University in Gulu City, aimed at strengthening the institution’s role in advancing research, innovation, industrialisation and socio-economic transformation.
The engagement formed part of the Ministry’s ongoing nationwide university engagements, which seek to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry and communities, while accelerating the translation of research outputs into practical solutions, commercially viable products and sustainable enterprises.
During a comprehensive tour of the university’s facilities, the Minister interacted with students, researchers and young innovators developing practical solutions to challenges affecting communities and industries.
Among the innovations showcased were technologies designed to address challenges faced by farmers, improve traffic management and enhance home security.
The tour provided an opportunity to appreciate the university’s existing research capabilities, infrastructure and emerging innovations, while identifying areas requiring further investment, technical support and stronger connections with industry.
The Minister emphasised that commercialising research, industrialising prototypes and scaling proven innovations are important pathways towards achieving Uganda’s Ten-Fold Growth Strategy.
Universities play a central role in generating knowledge, advancing scientific research and developing practical solutions to societal challenges. Beyond teaching and academic qualifications, their contribution to national development must increasingly be reflected in the problems they solve, the enterprises they support and the improvements they bring to people’s livelihoods.
The Ministry’s engagement with Gulu University reinforced the need to strengthen the relationship between academic research and industrial development, ensuring that promising innovations progress beyond laboratories and classrooms into productive economic activities.
This approach aligns with the long-standing vision of H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to harness science, technology and innovation as drivers of Uganda’s development.
Through the national STI agenda, the Government is promoting research commercialisation, technology development, value addition, import substitution and export promotion as key drivers of industrialisation and economic growth.
The engagement also included strategic discussions with the university leadership, focusing on the institution’s strengths, existing challenges and opportunities for advancing research and innovation.
Particular attention was directed towards identifying practical pathways for strengthening research infrastructure, supporting product development and connecting university-generated innovations with industries and markets.
The Ministry recognises that effective research commercialisation requires coordinated efforts among universities, government institutions, investors, industries and communities.
By strengthening these partnerships, universities can become centres of innovation-driven enterprise development, supporting the creation of jobs, improving productivity and enhancing Uganda’s industrial competitiveness.
The engagement at Gulu University forms part of broader efforts to position science, technology and innovation at the centre of Uganda’s economic transformation.
Under the Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, the commercialisation of research outputs and industrialisation of locally developed technologies present opportunities to expand domestic production, strengthen value chains and develop competitive enterprises.
The Ministry continues to work with universities across the country to identify promising innovations, assess institutional capabilities and establish pathways through which research and technological development can contribute meaningfully to national economic priorities.
The ultimate objective is to build a stronger innovation ecosystem in which universities serve not only as centres of learning but also as engines of industrial development, enterprise creation and sustainable socio-economic transformation.
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