AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Ministry of Education, Science and Technology will spend 750m/- on improving innovation and technology of 70 finalists at this year’s national competition for science, technology and innovation.
Announcing winners at the weekend, Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Joyce Ndalichako, said innovation would be improved through the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (Costech).
The winners were from the exhibition of Innovation Week held in March this year after judges went through their works and decided who had excelled.
Prof Ndalichako announced the three top winners in seven categories who participated in the exhibition whereas the overall winner in each would receive 5m/-, runners-up 3m/- and 2m/- for those who held third position.
She insisted a need for innovation for increased productivity, employment and economic development.
Prof Ndalichako was of the view that innovation should direct market demand as it was the only avenue where they saw the value and benefit of innovations for their livelihoods.
“Innovation is richness. You must be guided on how best to attain that benchmark we have with us from copyrights, business registration and Costech. Use them effectively,” he insisted.
This year’s competition attracted 583 innovators who showcased their innovations expressing government commitment to empowering local innovators so that their technologies could be valued in and outside the country.
“The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology used 50.55bn/- for 145 projects of 517 researchers in postgraduate courses last year,” said director of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The government last year also spent 750m/- on 60 innovators who took part in previous competitions and among the innovators included the one who came up with an idea to make a chopper.
She noted that the government was determination to recognise innovators from the grassroots, saying the innovations which would receive support should have an impact on national development.
She added that the innovators were attached to innovation centres and hubs from where they were developed and registered for patent rights.
She said the government was committed to seeing that innovations contributed to technological advancement and industrial economy.
“For the first time,” he said, “this year’s competition has included innovators from primary schools the ultimate goal being innovation inclusiveness.”
