Fostering Innovation Ecosystems in Public Universities, and Enabling African Startups to Scale through increasing risk capital for tech innovation, boosting innovation ecosystems and capturing the pan-African market.
Today, Tuesday 23rd January 2024, The First Lady and Minister for Education and Sports Honorable Janet Kataha Museveni who was represented by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Honorable Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza together with the United Nations Assistant Secretary General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director Regional Bureau for Africa H.E Ahunna Eziakonwa have launched the iconic multidisciplinary Makerere University Innovation Pod (UniPod) under UNDP’s Timbuktoo initiative.
The UniPod is equipped with high-end equipment to leverage research for development through nurturing the innovation ecosystem in Uganda. The UniPod has been designed to provide University Students and youths outside the university with:
i) Maker-Space that provides service to both engineering as well as creative design projects, with a standard set of equipment;
ii) Design labs that offer a host of programs in design thinking, and support students and youths to apply design principles toward solving any problem they are tackling;
iii) Collaborative working space; a space to develop business ideas and host product demos, training events, speaker talks, and other community and collaboration building events ;
iv) Technology Transfer Office that plays the role of bringing research developments to the market, and bridging research with industry.
Makerere University and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will work out a modality of operations that suits both students within the University and youths outside the University.
This UniPod has been established by the Timbuktoo Initiative which is a joint initiative of UNDP and Africa Influencers for Development (AI4D). Timbuktoo represents a commitment to leverage and catalyze current opportunities in Africa’s startup space and by doing so ensure a sustainable, inclusive, and transformational outcome for youth innovation entrepreneurs in Africa. At its core, Timbuktoo is a revolutionary private-public Youth Startup innovation financing facility for Africa.
Timbuktoo was officially launched on 16th January 2024 in Ice Village, Davos at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
Timbuktoo is championed by Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary General and Director for the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa. This is a UNDP offer building the human capital for Africa’s promise.
Timbuktoo is inspired by Africa’s great civilization story and heritage which is embodied in the remarkable history of Timbuktoo, the birthplace of one of the oldest universities in the world.
The Timbuktoo specific objectives are to raise a USD 1 billion youth innovation financing facility, aimed at achieving, over 10 years;
- 1,000 high-growth startup enterprises scaled across the continent.
- 50 million livelihoods improved directly and/or indirectly.
- USD 10 billion value creation
Timbuktoo is designed to follow a hub-and-spoke model and will focus on ecosystem approaches in strategically selected “hubs” located in various cities across the continent; as well as University Innovation Pods in carefully selected public universities.
The Vice Chancellor Makerere University Prof. Barnabus Nawangwe appreciated UNDP for investing in the University’s research for development and pledged to maintain the facility to function well in order to churn out enterprises and companies that will contribute to the country’s economy.
UNDP has implemented the Timbuktoo Initiative in 13 African countries establishing UniPods in Public Universities in Ugand…
