By Ronad Angarukamu
As the world celebrates the World science day on every 10th November, Uganda’s Ministry of Science and Technology has moved ahead and organized the Innovation Awards 2021 that will be celebrated at Kololo Independence grounds, graced by H.E President Yoweri Museveni.
The world science day was started as a way of opening up the world of scientific research and discovery to engage everybody in current scientific issues and developments. World Science Day targets to show that — although you may not be a scientist or a researcher — science is all around you and is a part of everybody’s life.
By making science more accessible, World Science Day is one way in which science can be used to inspire people to study and participate in it.
The Innovation awards launched on the 15th October 2021 present abundant prospects for scientists to showcase to the world their cutting age solutions. It’s imperative to recognize the remarkable determinations by our scientists and institutions in working for a self-sustaining science lead economy.
Institutions like the Kiira motors corporation is championing an indigenous automobile industry providing the country’s safe mobility solutions, the Private Sector Foundation Uganda has lead efforts in skilling individuals, startups and established companies and helping them access modern skill sets and technologies, under the skills development facility program while creating jobs for Ugandans, the Uganda Industrial Research Institute continues to champion the country’s effort in technology transfers, business development and incubation, products development while at the same time running successful community skills development programs.
H.E President Yoweri Museveni has time and again come in personally to promote, support and even sponsor Scientists at all levels to develop homemade solutions, using several presidential initiatives, the most recent one being the successful Presidential Scientific Initiative on Epidemics (PRESIDE)- a think tank of scientists with a core mission of developing products and tools to respond to COVID -19 and other epidemics, under the able leadership of Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero, the Senior Presidential advisor on Epidemics and currently the minister of Science, Technology and Innovations.
The President continues to champion the call for enhanced remunerations and enabling environment for scientists and innovators if we are to retain them and make good use of their rare skills.
Today’s competitive economy calls for societies to have efficient and effective technologies and agility in skill sets.
The Covid19 pandemic remains a serious disruption both for the economy and people’s social setting while at the same time presenting opportunities for scientists to think-tank together and develop new and improved products, systems and processes.
We have seen our scientists develop protective wear, including medical face masks and medical apparels, designing and fabricating hospital beds, hand sanitizers and several remedies and therapeutics including the wonder supportive treatment for viral infections~ Covidex of Prof. Ogwang.
As the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero notes, “Africa needs African minds to solve African problems.”
Through the 2021 innovation awards, Ugandans will have an opportunity to participate and see for themselves home designed and tested solutions for disease control and management, renewable energy and engineering, safe mobility solutions, processing and recycling solutions, ICT applications and practical models that create efficiency in farming, post-harvest handling, agro processing and market linkages.
Out of a successful innovations drive, we need to see policy reform that compel government to support and see these innovations up scaled and commercialized. We need to see government MDAs buying these homemade solutions through deliberate policy interventions.
It’s an opportunity to hold dear to our country and continue championing the region’s science, Technology and Innovations agenda for sustainable growth.
Ronad Angarukamu is a Textile Engineer and a Ugandan Innovator
