AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) has met 70 innovators drawn from different parts of the country with a view to jointly discuss issues pertaining to different kinds of inventions and how best they can be improved as well as popularized to Tanzanians.
The innovators were brought together during the just concluded National Competition on Science, Technology and Innovation (MAKISATU) held in Dodoma.
Speaking during the official opening of the capacity building workshop COSTECH Director General (DG), Dr Amos Nungu, said participants discussed opportunities as well as participation of businesspeople in developing MAKISATU innovations.
“We want to identify and develop innovators and we are doing this in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology as well as the ministry of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government,” he noted.
Dr Nungu further said the move was aimed at complementing the government’s industrialisation agenda.
According to him, COSTECH was equally meeting with different institutions dealing with investment in fulfilling all key objectives of developing innovators, which are identifying, recognising and developing them.
Innovators were drawn from Primary, secondary, colleges, universities and development sectors. Different stakeholders met in Dodoma for five days for competitions on Science Technology and Innovation, and the climax of celebrations was graced by Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa.
Speaking at the climax where he handed over cash prizes and certificates to the best innovators, Mr Majaliwa asked higher learning institutions and research institutions to work closely with the private sector and use locally developed technologies as well as innovations to accelerate economic development.
He underscored the need for stakeholders to develop, monitor and coordinate inventions in the country.
He further directed institutions dealing with innovation to develop a patent plan and submit applications to WIPO to protect interest of innovators.
