It is my great pleasure and honour this morning to welcome you to the 4th National Conference on the Dissemination of Research Results and Exhibition of Innovations. On behalf of the my colleagues at the National Council for Science and Technology, may I take this opportunity to thank the Honourable Minister for accepting to grace this occasion. I also thank all of you for accepting our invitation to participate in this National Conference. Your presence signifies your commitment and dedication in championing the course for Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) which is globally recognized as the driver for social and economic development of nations.
This year’s Conference targets to bring together policy makers, scholars, academicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, innovators, research and development workers, and other end-users of technologies to review research results and innovations. The Conference will also provide a forum for dialogue on key thematic areas that are strongly impacting on the social and economic well being of our nation.
Over the last three years, NCST has been involved in the administration of ST&I Grant. The Grant supports research and innovations in priority areas with a view to realizing the aspirations of Vision 2030. During the last two financial years (2008/09; 2009/10), the ST&I grant supported: 152 research projects; 15 Women Scientists and Researchers; 109 Postgraduate research consisting of 62 PhDs and 47 M.Sc; 8 Young innovators and provided four AAS Research facilities to various institutions. This Conference will provide you with an opportunity to view some of the projects funded by the ST&I grant.
NCST Strategic Plan (2009-2013) identifies the intensification of innovation and enhancing ST&I Awareness among other key strategic areas. We recognize that the future prosperity of Kenya is the knowledge economy, adding value”. That is, coming up with new products, new processes, new services; and new ways of solving problems. The future of developing countries like Kenya therefore, strongly depends upon their ability to innovate. It has been demonstrated that innovation and creativity are essential for sustainable growth and economic development. Some of the core conditions that enable innovation and encourage economic growth include: effective enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR); a strong and sustainable fundamental Research and Development (R&D) infrastructure; sound policies and mechanisms to promote the science and technology-innovation interface; and a strong emphasis on quality education at all levels.
Unfortunately, Kenya is weak in most of these areas. There is need for effective partnering of research and educational institutions with local and international industries and entrepreneurs. NCST is keen on supporting young innovators in preparation of prototypes. We hope that through this forum, the innovators can interact with entrepreneurs with a view to finding ways of developing products for the market. NCST will continue to use all avenues to ensure ST&I is popularized at all levels. The support for the National Secondary Schools Students Congress on Science and Technology will be enhanced through the expansion of prizes for best innovations in various categories as a way of encouraging them. Investment in harnessing this talent at secondary and post secondary education is a sure way of a prosperous nation.
Despite the achievements made in pursuance of ST&I policies by NCST, the following challenges remain: absence of National Research Policy; low funding for ST&I and R&D which is less than 0.5% of GDP. The low R&D is reflected in low publication and patents. According to the UNESCO Science Report 2010 Kenya produced only 6.6% of scientific publications in the sub-Saharan Africa compared to 46.4% and 11.4% of South Africa and of Nigeria respectively. The other challenges include: brain drain vs brain gain and a weak link between research and the industrial sector among others. Most of these challenges are being addressed through the current Strategic Plan of NCST with some of the strategies being: lobbying the government and stakeholders to increase funding; encouraging investment in the development and commercialization of ST&I products and services; and strengthening avenues for technical and financial support from the development partners, international organizations and the donor community.
It is in this regard that I want to acknowledge the collaborations and partnerships that we have with various institutions and organizations. These have come handy in supporting the various initiatives within NCST Programmes. We are also working towards establishment of other collaborations
Finally, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank our stakeholders and collaborators for the invaluable support for this year’s National Conference. It is our expectation that the participants will use the four days of the Conference to familiarize themselves with the programmes and activities of NCST as well as take the opportunity to listen to the presentations and view innovations. At the end of the Conference we shall provide report on proceedings; an inventory of innovations; established and strengthened partnerships, collaborations and linkages and develop a rationale for formulation of relevant ST&I policies for steering the country to attain the Vision 2030.
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