{{The East African Community plans to establish a Technical Working Group on Industrial Research, Technology and Innovation, the Secretariat has announced.}}
Also on the table for consideration is the establishment of a Centre for Adaptation and Transfer of Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies, it was revealed during a just-ended meeting on the EAC Industrialisation Policy and Action Plan.
The policy and plan call for ‘facilitating the transformation of the manufacturing sector through high value addition and product diversification based on comparative and competitive advantages of the region’ and ‘regional collaboration and development of capacity in industrial research, development and innovation’ respectively.
The IRTI Technical Working Group will be indispensable in guiding collaboration between research and technology organisations to enhance use of technology in driving the EAC industrial development agenda, it emerged during the meeting.
In this regard, the technical group will be tasked with identifying specific projects and programmes for regional collaboration, foster stronger linkages between industry, private sector, academia and research and technology as well as be the leading light in the mobilisation of sustainable financial and technical resources among others.
In his keynote address, Ambassador. Dr Joseph Kiplagat from Kenya’s ministry of Industrialisation and Enterprise Development noted that there was a great need to tap the opportunities the African continent has to offer.
“Africa has many opportunities for economic growth. While many African countries have experienced tremendous economic growth, science, technology and innovation are critical for the transformation of these economies to aide the attainment of Millennium Development Goals,” he said.
{{NMG}}
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