Varsities urged to support young innovators in commercializing products

Young
KCA University DVC in charge of Research, Innovation & Outreach Prof Vincent Onywera speaking at the institution in Ruaraka, Nairobi County.

Higher education institutions have been urged to support young innovators, entrepreneurs, and creatives in the process of commercializing their products.

Speaking at the conclusion of the annual Innovation Week & Industry Summit hosted at KCA University’s Main Campus in Ruaraka, Professor Vincent Onywera, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Research, Innovation, and Outreach at KCA University, emphasized the critical need for universities to collaborate with industry partners to help budding innovators transform their ideas into viable commercial products.

Professor Onywera stressed the utmost importance of universities in bridging the gap between academia and industry, ultimately promoting sustainable innovations.

“KCA University has introduced a Research Fund designed to provide robust support and catalyze innovations, ensuring their practical implementation,” he revealed.

Additionally, he noted that the event, which brought together local and international innovators, exhibitors, researchers, and creators, attracted over 2000 participants.

Young innovators awarded at the closing ceremony of the annual Innovation Week & Industry Summit held at the University Main Campus in Ruaraka,

It revolved around the theme “Leveraging on Academia-Industry Linkages to Foster Sustainable Innovations.”

The closing ceremony featured an award presentation for the best Business Plan and Hackathon.

Alvin Ekada, a Software Engineering student at JKUAT University, secured the top spot in the Business Plan competition category, while Hope Wanjeri, a Software Development student at KCA University, emerged as the Hackathon winner.

Ekada’s business plan aims to enhance healthcare accessibility and outcomes by connecting patients with trusted providers, while Wanjeri developed a Health Management System that utilizes NFC cards to store patient health records.

Professor Onywera expressed his satisfaction with the diversity of innovations exhibited during the week-long event and encouraged young people to apply their skills and knowledge to address societal challenges.

The Head of Innovations at Safaricom, Andrew Musila, encouraged more industry players to collaborate with higher education institutions to offer mentorship and industry expertise to student innovators.

“Safaricom is committed to supporting innovators by providing transformative technology to help them address various societal challenges effectively,” he affirmed.

By Kamau Njoroge

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