Botswana

The building of Botswana’s first science and technology park is expected to be ready for occupation and opening during the course of the year.This was revealed by Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) chief executive officer, Mr Alan Boshwaen in his welcome address at a recent press conference that was held to announce details of the fifth annual Africa Innovation Foundation’s (AIF) most prestigious awards - the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) to be held in Gaborone in June.

Mr Boshwaen expressed confidence that “during 2016, we will be able to open the symbolic buildings of BIH. We would like to have two major celebrations - one in June with all the people and innovators who would travel from all over Africa to attend the IPA awards.”

“Secondly, we would like to have this moment of national pride, where we open or launch the BIH iconic building. We will of course have to liaise with our principles about when exactly that date will be, but I’m saying that we are confident that it will be during 2016- during our 50th anniversary of independence,” he added.

Once officially opened, the science and technology park is expected to offer state-of-the-art office and laboratory space for rental and a wide range of business and technology support services.Mr Boshwaen said BIH was at a transition stage in its journey.

The company, he said, has launched key innovation support programmes with partners around the world, and that the programmes were beginning to have an impact in various parts of the country.Botswana Innovation Hub, he said, was involved in the physical development of infrastructure in the science and technology park, located near Sir Seretse Khama International Airport .“This will be a landmark year in the sense that we expect the park to be ready for occupation and opening during the year 2016,” he added.

“In the years beyond 2016, we look forward to scaling up this initiative so that it widens its impact and deepens our ability to support innovation for national development,” he said.Science and technology parks, which are generally viewed as economic drivers, Mr Boshwaen said, were rising at a phenomenal rate in the African continent. “Indeed we were accepted as a member of the International Association of Science Parks and areas of innovation.”

As an organisation central to playing a key role in transforming Botswana into a technology-driven and knowledge based economy, Mr Boshwaen said BIH aims to commercialise innovations and enable technology transfer.For that reason, he said BIH was also involved in initiatives to support technology entrepreneur start-ups, adding that “we have a national technology transfer office, in partnership with the University of Botswana. In due course we will launch an innovation fund.”