In the picture (Left to Right): Former Minister - Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and current Director in the Department of Business and Technology Management KAIST Professor Munkee Choi, Botswana Innovation Hub CEO Alan Boshwaen and Director of Global IT Technology Program (ITTP),KAIST Prof. Jae Jeung Rho.
Botswana Innovation Hub, Chief Executive Officer,
Alan Boshwaen signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will see the
company become a regional technology commercialistation center. Boshwaen signed
the MoU with the Director of Global Commercialization Centre (GCC), Professor
Munkee Choi and Director of Global IT Technology Program (ITTP), Professor
JaeJeung Rho both from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST). The MoU which was signed on Monday outlines the three parties’
technical cooperation through shared mutual assistance and promotion of
technical cooperation.
Outlined in the MoU is how Botswana Innovation Hub,
KAIST GCC and ITTP (IT Technology Program) will work with the National
Technology Transfer Office (TTO) resident at the Botswana Innovation Hub to share
mutual assistance and promote technical cooperation. The MoU defines technical
cooperation as building a cooperative network between Korea and Botswana through
the TTO as a regional hub of GCC with the aim of promoting global technology
transfer and commercialization.
The envisioned technology transfer and
commercialization will be underpinned by technology demand surveys that have
been conducted through the TTO. More technology demand surveys have been
planned and these will help identify and promote cooperation in Korean or
Botswana research, technology and innovation agencies, industries and firms
with promising technologies to promote value creation in economies.
The parties further undertake to work towards the
development of technology commercialization business models and support
business activities for participating companies and agencies to implement and
expand partnership opportunities in both Korea and Botswana. They will also jointly
conduct conferences, forums, workshops and several other activities that
advance knowledge and strengthen human capital relevant to innovation capacity.
Speaking
at the signing ceremony, Professor Munkee Choi who is also Korea’s Former
Minister in the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said “The parties will develop technology commercialization business
models and support business activities for participating companies and agencies
to implement and expand partnership opportunities in both Korea and
Botswana.”
He said the GCC technology commercialization method
entails a three pronged approach with includes Product Localization (PL) where
an ICT product or service requires support for the commercialization process in
the domestic or foreign market; Co-Project (CP) which seeks for partners with
sufficient technical expertise to collaboration in order to commercialize
product or service; and Technology Transfer (TT) which imparts technological
and intellectual property to further development of products or services.
Speaking on behalf on Botswana Innovation Hub,
Boshwaen said Botswana Innovation Hub is incorporated as a company that is developing
and will ultimately operate the country’s first Science and Technology Park, “Networks
and collaborations between academia, public and private sectors help build a
vibrant national innovation ecosystem and we are happy with this latest
endorsement as a regional technology commercialistation center.”
