Introduction to Rwanda’s Technology Transfer and Commercialisation Strategies
Rwanda has taken a significant step forward in its quest to build a robust research and innovation ecosystem. Three key strategies have been developed for the University of Rwanda (UR), Rwanda Polytechnic (RP), and the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). These strategies are part of the project “Strengthening Rwanda’s Research and Innovation Ecosystem through Training, Coordination, and Collaboration,” funded by the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) programme under the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The initiative aims to enhance research and innovation ecosystems across Africa by fostering collaboration between academia and industry.
Objectives of the Project
The project seeks to build national capacity through Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes, which aim to boost research, entrepreneurship, and innovation skills. It promotes collaboration between academia and industry to drive market-relevant innovations. Strengthened systems will enable effective technology development and knowledge transfer. The initiative is reinforcing research and innovation partnerships between entrepreneurs from industry and researchers from academic and research institutions.
One of the key goals of the project is to develop a national online centralised repository and database to enhance evidence-based decision-making and policy formulation for research and innovation, promoting product commercialisation. This will serve as a critical tool for tracking and managing research outputs and their potential for commercial application.
Validation Workshop and Implementation Plans
On October 28, the University of Rwanda (UR), in collaboration with the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST), organised a validation workshop for the three institutions’ strategies at the University of Rwanda Headquarters. Prof. Damien Hanyurwimfura, Ag. Director of ACEIoT and the Principal Investigator of the project, highlighted that the three strategies for UR, RP, and RAB align with the national strategy developed last year with support from the RISA fund.
“The project aims to enhance research and facilitate the translation of research outputs into commercial products — in other words, to commercialise research conducted at universities,” he said. Currently, most research carried out at UR, RP, RAB, and other laboratories remains within institutions and is not taken to market for commercialisation.
Implementation of the Strategies
Each strategy will have a national office to monitor implementation. At the University of Rwanda, the Centre for Entrepreneurship will be responsible for implementing the strategy. RAB and RP also have similar offices. Each institution will therefore have an office responsible for facilitating the transfer of research to industry for application.
Funding will ideally come from different sources. “We are also looking for grants and internal funding. As this particular initiative was funded externally, we hope to secure similar support to implement it fully,” said Hanyurwimfura.
Models for Technology Transfer
Research at RAB, UR, and RP is conducted by scientists, lecturers, and students. A student may conduct research under the supervision of a lecturer, making it a joint effort. There are various models for transferring university research to industry for application. The technology transfer process will help them register their intellectual property (IP) with RDB for patenting and connect them with industries interested in adopting their innovations.
Sometimes, a researcher may have a good idea but lack the funds to develop it. In that case, a company interested in the idea can take it up and implement it. Alternatively, researchers can create their own start-ups to commercialise their innovations, or sell their intellectual property to another company.
Importance of the Strategies
Francoise Tengera Kayitare, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Finance at UR, said these strategies are critical to transforming research and innovation into tangible economic and social impact. “UR, RP, and RAB have demonstrated a shared commitment to transforming Rwanda into a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy, ensuring that research and innovations emerging from these institutions are not only academically sound but also socially relevant, commercially viable, and nationally impactful,” she noted.
Esperance Munganyinka, Head of the Department of the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) at NCST, emphasized the need to strengthen the research and innovation ecosystem to sustain Rwanda’s social and economic growth agenda and achieve the Vision 2050 targets.
Current Progress and Future Goals
So far, 60 researchers and innovators have been trained as trainers in technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and research commercialisation. A national research and innovation repository has also been developed.
Daniel Niyibizi, Research Fellow at RAB, said RAB’s technology transfer and commercialisation strategy seeks to turn research into real impact. “We have to connect innovations from labs to Rwandan farms, boost innovation adoption, and promote value addition,” he said.
Parfait Yongabo, a researcher at RP, highlighted that institutional capacity and funding schemes for technology transfer and commercialisation will be developed under the strategy. Some interventions include developing IP policies, establishing technology transfer offices, enhancing business incubation centres, and developing RP’s technology commercialisation business model.
Conclusion
The strategies developed for UR, RP, and RAB represent a significant milestone in Rwanda’s journey toward building a strong research and innovation ecosystem. With the support of various stakeholders and the implementation of these strategies, Rwanda is well on its way to achieving its vision of becoming a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.
