Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation – Office of the President, led a strategic engagement with Muni University in Arua, focusing on strengthening the role of universities in Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation.
The discussions centred on an important question: How do we move science beyond laboratories and classrooms into industries, communities and markets where it can create real value?
Key areas of focus included strengthening university–industry collaboration, establishing effective innovation and incubation pathways, promoting product-oriented research, and equipping graduates with the skills to translate knowledge into practical, market-ready solutions.
The engagement also emphasised the importance of data analytics, product design, entrepreneurship and community-responsive research, alongside sustainable partnerships that enable universities and industry to share expertise, infrastructure and the benefits of commercialisation.
The Ministry’s ambition is to see universities recognised not only for the graduates they produce, but also for the innovations they develop, the enterprises they nurture, the industries they support and the problems they solve.
Through the STI agenda, the Ministry is working towards a stronger national innovation ecosystem that connects research, talent, industry and investment to accelerate Uganda’s industrialisation, competitiveness and inclusive economic growth.
The future of science lies not only in what we discover, but also in what we transform through those discoveries.
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