By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Kenya has opened a national
dialogue aimed at moving the country’s technology ambitions from broad
aspiration to strategic national importance, with government, universities,
research institutions, TVETs and the private sector being urged to align efforts
around a shared 2030 vision.
Principal Secretary for
Science, Research and Innovation Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak officially opened the
dialogue, which brings together key actors across Kenya’s research, science,
technology and innovation ecosystem ahead of the African Technology Leadership
Conference.
Abdulrazak said the
immediate priority is to assess where Kenya stands, define where the country
wants to be by 2030 and identify the interventions required to achieve that
ambition.
He said Kenya already has a
strong foundation of policies, institutions, researchers, talent and ideas, but
greater coordination is needed to move beyond fragmented and small-scale
initiatives.
The Principal Secretary
called for a shift towards multidisciplinary, multi-institutional and
mission-oriented research, with institutions encouraged to break traditional
silos and strengthen partnerships between academia and industry.
He also stressed the need to
scale innovations, commercialise research outputs and strengthen human capital
across the entire skills pipeline, from technical and vocational education and
training institutions to universities and advanced research.
Emerging technologies,
including artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, biotechnology,
advanced manufacturing and health technologies, were identified as areas
offering significant opportunities for Kenya’s economic and technological
development.
Abdulrazak said Kenya’s
ambition should extend beyond adopting technologies developed elsewhere to
producing and exporting solutions capable of addressing national, regional and
global challenges.
The national dialogue is
expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to establish a common Kenyan
position, connect initiatives across the ecosystem and identify practical areas
where science, research and innovation can contribute directly to solving
national challenges.
He said stronger
collaboration could help turn research and innovation into enterprises, create
jobs and accelerate Kenya’s progress beyond the objectives of Vision 2030.
The engagement comes as
Kenya seeks to strengthen its technology ecosystem by linking research, skills
development, innovation and private-sector participation to national
development priorities.
