Botswana Innovation Hub : Mobile Innovation Stakeholders Roadshow

Botswana currently enjoys low technological entry barriers and fixed cost, the mobile industry can therefore offer vast revenue and growth potential for entrepreneurs and jobs creation. In turn, a favorable ecosystem that integrates policy-makers, mobile network operators, investors, donors, and other stakeholders, must exist in order for mobile app entrepreneurs to thrive. In its endeavor to stimulate the development of an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem for mobile applications enterprises in the country, the Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) hosted a weeklong Mobile Innovation Stakeholders Roadshow from 18^th to 22^nd March, 2013. The event was held within the framework of the Southern Africa Innovation Support (SAiS) Programme and infoDev, (the global partnership program in the World Bank Group) and jointly ran by BIH and Orange Botswana.

The Roadshow which comprised of a Stakeholders Workshop, infoDev Global Business Innovation Management Training, Mobile Innovation Boot Camp, and Hackathon for mobile applications developers, entrepreneurs and startups delivered five full days of cutting-edge content, networking, dynamic presentations and interactive discussions to address the latest developments and opportunities within the mobile innovation sector.

MIST Permanent Secretary Dikagiso Mokotedi flanked by SAiS Chief Technical Advisor Juha Meittine (L) and Orange Botswana Head of Legal Corporate Services Lepata Mafa (R)

Officially opening the Mobile Innovation Stakeholders Workshop, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology Dikagiso Mokotedi said the Mobile Innovation Roadshow initiative is one among many national efforts by which government and its associated partners are trying to inject passion for innovation among the youth while at the same time facilitating for the creation of a conducive environment through partnerships to nurture skills and entrepreneurship necessary for economic diversification. “Africa and indeed Botswana has a high mobile penetration, and is quickly adapting the new technologies. Numerous products borne out of African innovations are now being seen on the global market place. Hence there is a lot of potential to grow more solutions going forward,” he said.

The workshop which convened key players for innovation ecosystem building and mobile industry promotion in the country discussed benefits and opportunities of the knowledge-based entrepreneurship and innovation promotion (such as mobile innovation) for Botswana and outlined key challenges and issues.

Speaking at the same occasion, business incubation and mobile innovation specialist, at the World Bank, Sophia Muradyan, said with 75% of the world's population having access to mobile phones, innovators need to come up with ideas that can strengthen agribusiness and tourism sectors through mobile gadgets.

Sophia Muradyan Business Incubation Specialist

"As World Bank we support and recognise the liberal mobile market and its development through innovation of new ideas that match our environments and can help our communities to develop and move forward," said Muradyan.

For his part SAiS Chief Technical Officer Juha Miettinen said in order to unlock individual ingenuity, it is important to establish and sustain a holistic and interconnected environment, which has a foundation built on both knowledge and practice. "Innovation is about mind-set, thinking differently in new ways," he said adding that the SAiS programme promotes collaboration between the innovation systems of African countries in order to provide greater impact on economic and social development. Miettinen said that the key components when guiding innovation include learning from the best, capacity building by strengthening and enhancing human resource, networking for innovation support partnerships and fostering institutional capability by building elements of the systems of innovations on a national and regional level.

He said the SAiS programme is currently being piloted in four countries namely Botswana ,Mozambique ,Namibia and Zambia from 2011 -2015 with the aim of addressing the challenges found within the innovation systems of each country, by enacting their innovation capacity both individually and collectively. Miettinen further declared that the Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pledged 6.2 million Euros to Botswana towards innovation development and ICT.