Turn your ideas into products, science minister

By Christopher Bendana

Kampala

Turn your ideas into products, science minister

Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation has castigated Ugandan researchers for not turning their research ideas into products and services that can help the country get money and fight unemployment.

Presiding over the World Science day at Makerere University on Friday, Tumwesigye said that the researchers are only interested in satisfying the interest of their funders.

He said others are also only interested in having their research published in journals so that they can get promoted. Others are interested in traveling overseas to get allowances and per diem.

“Please turn ideas into viable ventures.”

He said as the science ministry, they were looking at supporting researchers and innovators who would transform their ideas and innovations into products and services.

Indeed he said his ministry is working with Uganda Development Bank to provide start-up capital for the youth.

He added that the government was working with universities to construct industrial parks where students, among others, would be re-tooled.

However, responding to Tumwesigye complaint of researchers not turning their ideas into products Prof. George  Byaruhanga Bazirake, a senior lecturer at Kyambogo University and an entrepreneur involved in banana value addition termed the minister’s comments a misnomer.

He said, them as top scholars, their job is to generate knowledge, and not to implement.

“For us we put instructions, there should be uptakes,” he advised.

Relatedly, three post-graduate students from Mbarara University of Science and Technology and Makerere University walked away with awards in innovation.

The awards organized by the Uganda Biotechnology and Biosafety Consortium will help them showcase their innovations at the Jinja national agricultural show next year.

They were also given certificates and cash prizes