Konza and Huawei Technology have unveiled a partnership that will see the two firms establish an innovation hub at Machakos University. The Hub dubbed “Konza Innovation hub” will play a role in linking the industry with the academy with a view of enhancing research and innovations that can scale up.
Speaking during the unveil of the partnership ahead of the Konza Innovation Ecosystem Initiative scheduled for December 5, 2018 at Konza, John Tanui, the CEO of Konza Technopolis Development Authority, noted that a triple helix approach to development is key to unlocking great potential within the institutions of higher learning.
(TOP: Konza Technopolis Development Authority chairman and architect Dr Reuben Mutiso – centre – with Machakos University VC Prof Lucy Irungu and Huawei Kenyan Enterprise Department, Deputy Director, Joseph Liu).
“By administering quality education and supplementing skills and with an innovative culture is sure to create the leaders of the future. We believe the Machakos innovation hub we launch here today will be a catalyst towards shaping tomorrow’s ideas and inventions,” noted Tanui.
Konza Technopolis Chairman Architect Reuben Mutiso remarked that the forum is a timely engagement poised to onboard critical players in the innovation ecosystem in an endeavor to harness the synergy in advancing the science, technology and innovation agenda.
“Kenya is a knowledge based economy driven by abundance wealth of ideas. As such, our core objective in setting up Africa’s technology Hub is to develop a world class infrastructure and technology that will facilitate research, education and foster business growth,” he noted.
Konza Technopolis flagship project is Kenya’s Vision 2030 economic development portfolio with a core mandate envisioned to create an area of Innovation for the country and wider East Africa. In the fiscal year 2016/2017, the Kenyan government spent Kshs 3.5 billion equivalent to 0.005% of GDP on research, science, technology and innovation. The initiative forum is setting the ball rolling in fostering a digitally powered ecosystem that will address present and future needs of both stakeholders and the community.
Also speaking at the function, Machakos University VC Prof Lucy Irungu called on the youthful scholars to take up every opportunity in the innovation pipeline and exploit the available avenues presented by the forum to become trailblazers in the region.
“As a premier university with a pedagogical background in Engineering and Technology, the opportunities in engaging young scholars’ promises to shape the innovation space of this country. Indeed, upon completion Konza City will employ 17,000 of our finest brains in the county,” said Prof Irungu.
Konza City is set to function much like a fully-fledged metropolis with a mix of businesses, commercial and retail estate, biotechnology firms and urban amenities bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds across the continent.
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