MUST to Adopt Local Innovators and Improve IP
The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) says it will now begin to adopt people with indigenous skills and innovation into its arm of Industrial Research and Innovation to improve on the local intellectual property (IP).
Director for the Institute at MUST, Dr David Mkwambisi, told Zodiak on Wednesday morning that they have already started identifying rural innovators who have never accessed education but are able to produce tangible innovations.
He hopes that such innovators' products will eventually be commercialized and generate jobs in the country.
“We hope that the existence of the Institute of Industrial Research and Innovation at Malawi University of Science and Technology, MUST, will create to leeway for unskilled innovators to improve their intellectual property and achieve industrialization,” said Dr Mkwambisi.
The Director added that they are engaging the ministry of education to identify top 10 innovative secondary school learners and other great young minds from higher schools for a mentorship program.
“The learners will be going to MUST to improve their innovations. That aside, we have also established an innovation garage where people's ideas and innovations will be scaled up,” explained he.
Recently, Minister of Industry Roy Kachale said his ministry is embarking on pro-poor industrialization in order to build a middle class in Malawi.
Kachale said apart from working with MUST, the Ministry is partnering with cooperatives and small and medium enterprises to build the missing class which will eventually bridge the gap between a few rich people and the majority poor.