How are PPPs in research and innovation strengthening Uganda’s manufacturing sector?

The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) is driving innovation and research in Uganda’s manufacturing sector. In 2023, UNCST completed a project under the Science Granting Councils Initiative, focusing on Public-Private Partnerships to drive growth and development in manufacturing.

More specifically, it aimed to:

1. Strengthen the research management capacity of UNCST
2. Foster collaboration between industries and universities
3. Contribute to the industry’s increased competitiveness and productivity by addressing technology bottlenecks

In this blog, we look at the outputs and results of the project and its contribution to the creation of innovative new commercial products to boost Uganda’s economy.

Growing Uganda’s manufacturing sector through research PPPs

Uganda is committed to its national development. The implementation of innovative policies and strategies is key. The government is working hard on economic growth and social well-being. By putting in place plans, it aims to elevate the country to lower-middle income status. These plans work side-by-side with other national policies including:

• Vision 2040 – accelerating Uganda’s transformation to a modern and prosperous nation
• the National Development Plan III (2021-2025);
• the National Industry Policy (2008); and
• the National Industry Sector Strategy.

Adding value to local raw materials and agro-processing is a key focus of these policies. The National Development Plan III, in particular, emphasises manufacturing. It focuses among other things on the production of consumer, high-tech goods. It also focuses on adding value to agricultural products. This will help to move Uganda towards its economic goals.

Key goals and objectives of the project include:

• Strengthening the research management capacity of UNSCT
• Strengthening collaboration between industries and universities in Uganda
• Increasing the productivity and competitiveness of the manufacturing sector by contributing to the reduction of technology bottlenecks.

PPP project outputs and results

The project has yielded significant outputs and results. One of the major successes has been the creation of TECHNOMART. This online platform serves as a technology gateway. It connects entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and venture capitalists. People interested in commercialising Uganda’s R&D can connect via this hub to create collaborations, partnerships and ‘technopreneurships’. Furthermore, the platform simplifies the sharing of specialised research equipment and facilities. It has also upgraded UNCST IT infrastructure, creating a dashboard for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL).

Under a PPP, six manufacturing research projects have been funded. These projects aimed to improve the competitiveness and productivity within Uganda’s manufacturing sector with research-based solutions.

Creating commercial toiletries and products for well-being

Projects established under TECHNOMART have included the creation of shea butter products. They include body cream, lotion and soap. Fractionation has been critical to the process. The products are now being tested on the market under the brand Nilo Beauty Products. The team also designed and created a fractionation unit. This establishment is for the commercial separation of shea olein (oil) and stearin (fat).

Furthermore, a bee propolis project has successfully transformed research into commercial products. Propolis is a resin-like substance created by bees. It has beneficial antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The products include body cream and propolis-infused tea bags sold under Adlea Cosmetics and Ejim Tea, respectively.

Boosting the baking and confectionery sectors

Another project, the Bakery and Confectionery Standards Gaps Research Project, saw the creation of ‘simplified bread and cake’. Under this initiative, baking standards were translated into pictorial formats and three languages (English, Luganda and Swahili). The National Bureau of Standards (UNBS adopted these standards. Moreover, 22 bakers were trained in their implementation, enhancing productivity. Another project focused on wheat varieties to boost the competitiveness and productivity of local wheat farmers, supporting the bakery and confectionery sectors. Two more projects focused on essential oil crops and low-cost cricket feed. Both have generated prototype products.

Transforming the future of Uganda’s manufacturing sector

Ultimately, the PPP research projects have strengthened Uganda’s manufacturing sector. They have also strengthened the UNCST research management capabilities, resulting in sustained collaboration between academia and the private sector. Partnerships have successfully introduced new commercial products onto the market. Furthermore, platforms and tools have been created under the initiative. They have led to much-needed spaces for UNCST’s work in research management, technology commercialisation and gender equality.

Further impressive results have been achieved through collaborations with the Competent Technical Agencies (CTAs). For example, six Science Granting Councils, including UNCST, adopted and customised a system to digitise their grants’ management process. The project also led to the establishment of the UNSCT’s first Gender Committee and a gender policy.

UNCST’s work has helped improve Uganda’s manufacturing sector by focusing on research, innovation and partnership. It has supported the creation of new products, made industries more competitive and built critical platforms like TECHNOMART. By connecting businesses and universities, UNCST is helping to grow Uganda’s economy and support its move toward economic growth.

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