Ministry of ICT in Partnership With UPDF to Build an Innovation Hub in Kampala
According to a research that was conducted by GSMA, Africa has 314 active tech hubs in 93 cities in 42 countries with notably, Uganda having 12 active tech hubs. As the need for great tech talent increases, tech hubs are popping up around African countries as excellent places to join together, create communities and foster growth.
Uganda as of today has had some amazing spurts of open innovation community that build the most forward-thinking, innovative and creative young minds.
According to reports by Daily Monitor, the Ministry of ICT in partnership with the Engineering Brigade of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) on Friday announced that they are to work on the construction of an innovation hub in Kampala.
According to the Minister of ICT and National Guidance; Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, the hub has been suggested to be built at the Uganda Information and Technology Institute (UICT) in Nakawa and will offer free working space to innovators unlike other hubs that charge them.
The innovation hub forms part of the broader digital strategy being drafted by the Ministry of ICT. In it includes how government shall digitize some sectors such as education and health. Additionally, it will also include details on intellectual property and big data.
“We are in the final stages of tabling to Cabinet a digital strategy. This strategy will be setting out milestones for each sector. When we get government services online, you cut costs and you remove corruption. We also have to train IT engineers to work for the government – and remunerate them better,” Hon. Frank Tumwebaze said on the sidelines of the Transform Africa Summit 2017 in Kigali, Rwanda on Wednesday.[related-posts]
The construction of the hub precedes after, the Minister promised innovators who attended the 2016 ICT Innovators Forum that the Ministry had pledged to push for the construction of innovation hubs in Kampala.
Citing the Daily Monitor, Hon. Frank during the forum said that, “someone talks of mentorship and subsidized internet but where do I find you to mentor you or to subsidize internet? That means there must be a common center or public hubs where we can come in and meet.”
He also mentioned that the innovation hubs will ease the exportation of ICT products to other markets that innovators cannot currently penetrate.
