Botswana’s researchers and entrepreneurs are urged to come up with innovative solutions to cope with challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Botswana Innovation Hub, through its annual innovation fund, called for proposals from entrepreneurs, applications developers, indigenous knowledge holders, social enterprises, civil society and non-governmental organizations.
“The call for proposals target solutions that include, but are not limited to, mobile and web-based solutions, data enabled solutions with the ability to analyze and publish information on the go, working prototypes of products, processes, value added services, community social interventions, tools and gadgets that may be of high demand” during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, BIH Chief Executive Officer Alan Boshwaen said on Monday.
It is expected that the solutions will address challenges in public health systems, public service delivery, transportation and payments, logistics and value chains, among others, Boshwaen said.
The solutions will be sustained by intellectual property development and registration, technology transfer, and commercialization of solutions, he said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic fight requires us to be flexible and adaptable. The BIF instrument has adapted to the current situation and accommodated funding of innovative solutions in response to the challenges of the pandemic,” Boshwaen said.
The COVID-19 challenges present opportunities for innovators to innovate for now and the future, he said.
“These innovations will form part of the positive outcomes of the COVID-19 when we reflect on all our efforts to fight the pandemic,” Boshwaen said. CGTN