An incubation centre funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) has been launched at the Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI) at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi, aimed at promoting innovation development, market linkages, and technology transfer.
The PAUSTI Incubation Centre of Excellence has been set up to promote and drive innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and private sector linkages among academia. It will seek to accelerate the application of research and development through technology and linkages with the private sector, to drive innovation and entrepreneurship on the continent.
“We are so proud to be launching the PAUSTI Incubation CoE, as this is the beginning of a movement. A movement that will change the face of Africa where we will produce indigenous solutions to solve our indigenous problems. We believe Africa’s youth, when given the right skills and conditions, can be incubated to grow innovative ideas that will change the continent,” said Uyoyo Edosio, the principal ICT for development expert at the AfDB.
The PAUSTI CoE will form the backbone of the development agenda and will foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the university. The centre will seek to drive economic growth, generation of employment, industrialization, access to vital business information, business knowledge, networks and financial investments for the PAUSTI students.
iHub has been contracted to set up and operationalise the incubation centre, through which PAUSTI students will be facilitated to access a global network of accelerators, incubators, mentors, investors, and corporate partners.
They will also have the chance to get involved in activities such as design thinking workshops and innovation challenges, CV clinics, entrepreneurship masterclasses, pre-incubation and incubation programs, and excursions to innovation hubs and companies.
