• STIPRO to Hold a Roundtable Discussion on Skills GAP in The Tanzanian Industry

    Friday, August 05, 2016 On Tuesday, the 16th of August, 2016 STIPRO will be holding a roundtable discussion at the Tanzanite Conference Hall, Blue Pearl Hotel, Ubungo Plaza, in Dar es Salaam. The theme of the discussion is titled “Innovation for sustainable industrial development in Tanzania; do we have adequate human capital?. As we may all be aware of, Tanzania is currently pursuing the industrialization agenda as one of the most effective way to achieve its development vision – Vision 2025, which envisions that by the year 2025 Tanzania be a semi industrialized and middle income country, with incidences of poverty significantly reduced. Very important in the process of industrialization is the role of innovation and technological capabilities. Innovation puts in the market new products and services, and improves the quality of existing products and services. It also makes production process more efficient. These outcomes of innovation are indispensable for competitiveness - both in the local and export markets. There are a number of factors that facilitate innovative activities both at the firm and national levels in any country. While the major driving factor is having a good national systems of innovation, which will be consisting of a number of actors interacting and learning from each other to effect innovation, there are two major driving forces for innovation at the firm level: demand for innovative goods and services from the society in general on the one hand, and the availability of competent and skilled manpower, on the other hand. Skilled and competent manpower in this case refers to people with capabilities of generating knowledge; people who understand how things work and how ideas or technologies can be improved or applied for industrialization. Although demand and market signals normally take an upper hand in triggering innovation, for innovation to actually happen, there has to be knowledgeable and skilled human power. However, as Tanzania is aggressively pursuing the industrialization agenda, the issues of availability of knowledgeable and skilled manpower seem to be in the dark, bringing to the fore some questions that beg immediate answers. This Roundtable discussion will provide the forum to debate on the current level of availability and adequacy of skilled manpower as well as on the future needs in order to meet the requirements of the envisaged successful and efficient industrial development in Tanzania. It will bring together important stakeholders that include the private sector, training and research institutions as well as the government (policy makers) to brainstorm on this crucial issue of skills gap. It is intended to discuss the roles and contributions of the three major actors: the government in terms of policies and guidance, training and research institutions, and the private sector in the development of adequate and appropriate knowledgeable and skilled manpower for industrial development, and to chart on the way forward.


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  • STIPRO Calls to Embed Science, Technology and Innovation in Attaining Sustainable Development Goals 2030

    Friday, February 26, 2016 Science,Technology and Innovation Policy Research Organization (STIPRO) Executive Director Dr. Bitrina Diyamett has urged Tanzanian policy makers to integrate science, technology and innovation strategies when implementing Sustainable Development Goals before 2030. Dr. Bitrina Diyamett gives a Presentation about Goal no 8 and 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals Speaking during the Policy Forum breakfast debate organized by the Policy Forum at the British Council Auditorium in Dar es Salaam, Dr. Bitrina Diyamett observed that development stakeholders should note the centrality of Science,Technology and Innovation strategies in education, industrial, agricultural, trade and investment in order to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. Dr Bitrina noted that Goals no 8 and 9 are very central in eradicating Poverty and improving human livelihoods. “Goal no 8 is about sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Goal no 9 encourages Build of resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.”She said She said that in order to enhance the employment potential in the Country , the industrial and agricultural sectors should be prioritized using policies informed by credible research and therefore a need to improve the current national systems of Science,Technology and Innovation. Deputy Minister of Health, Social Welfare, Gender, Elderly and Children Dr. Hamis Kigwangala gives some comments during a discussion “We need to see increased agricultural productivity, while at the same time opening avenues for the non-farm activities in the rural areas, especially in agro-processing while enhancing the marketing of agricultural products and encouraging mineral processing to provide incentives for value addition to minerals rather than raw export and technology and innovation in these are critical,” she said. Dr. Diyamett cautioned, however, that building innovation capabilities was challenging as it required coordinating policies of very diverse nature, effective governance, continuous follow up and evaluation of the performance of the system and specialized expertise, which the country to a large extent currently lacks. Explaining about Goal no 1 of the Sustainable Development Goals which focuses on ending Poverty,Senior Researcher from Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) Dr. Blandina Kilama said there was a need for monitoring Poverty by collecting proper data from responsible Officers including Village Executive Officers and Ward Officers. “In curbing poverty, useful ways need to be thought out to capture all stakeholders including children, women, youth, the environment and proper governance of the right data which are traceable from the lowest administrative (personal) level” She said. She further pointed out that resource mobilization was inevitable specifically engaging more human and financial resources as it could encourage innovations brought in with improved technologies to simplify and speed up data collection, analysis and reporting. A Cross section of the participants of the Policy Forum breakfast debate held recently at the British Council Auditorium in Dar es Salaam Tanzania Deputy Minister of Health, Social welfare, Gender, Elderly and Children Dr. Hamis Kigwangala was of the views that the society should also support the Government in its effort to alleviate Poverty. “Education and Economy are two sides of the same coin in curbing Poverty for different groups in the Society.Thanks the Tanzania Government has already started to revamp these important sectors before 2030,We should also play our parts”He said Policy Forum breakfast debate is usually organized each last Friday of every Month bringing together Policy stakeholders to discuss various Policy issues for socio and economic development .This Month’s theme was “ Ending Poverty by Year 2030: The prospects and challenges" Representative of the Tanzania Planning Commission Ms. Salome Kingdom takes part in a discussion


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  • STIPRO Graces Launch Of The Technology and Innovation 2015 REPORT

    Thursday, December 17, 2015 The United Nations in Tanzania has launched the Technology and Innovation Report 2015, which provides a comprehensive analysis of industry and Science, Technology and innovation policies in Tanzania and other African Countries. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report indicates that industrial Development and Science, Technology and innovation (STI) policies should be coordinated so as to promote technological learning, competency building and competitiveness of the African industry, especially the manufacturing sector. The report highlights some critical industrial development and innovation policy challenges facing Tanzania, Nigeria and Ethiopia, which are the three countries included in in-depth case studies. Dr. Bitrina Diyament of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Research Organization (STIPRO) presents the report findings Presenting the report findings for the Tanzania country, Executive Director of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Research Organization (STIPRO) Dr. Bitrina Diyamett said the existing policies do not always correspond to the reality of the situation on the ground, “Policy can only work when there is implementation and coordination…


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  • President of The AFRICALICS Dr. Bitrina Diyamett Officiates The Kigali International Conference on Unpacking Systems of Innovations For Sustainable Development in Africa

    19th November 2015 President of the African Research Network on Economics of Learning, Innovation and Competence Building systems (AfricaLics) Dr. Bitrina Diyamett officiated the International Conference on Unpacking Systems of Innovation for Sustainable Development in Africa in Kigali - Rwanda. Giving the opening remarks, Dr. Bitrina Diyamett who also heads the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Organization (STIPRO) said the 3 days Conference was the Second conference hosted jointly by Africalics and Rwanda University with major objectives of sharing and facilitating use of knowledge. Explaining other objectives of the Conference, Dr. Diyamett noted that the Conference was organized to determine the state of the art within research community in Africa working in the field of innovation and development and providing a much needed arena for researchers in Africa, particularly early career researchers, to build capacity in presenting and networking skills as well as learning about new methods and theories. She said innate in human is innovation and human beings, since time immemorial, had always endeavored to improve on their tools of production and modes of living. She however warned that under current environment of globalization, innovation had taken a new horizon – it is a tool for competitiveness, including survival. “Without innovation, the very existence of our firms and farms, and ultimately our nations are at stake. In this regard Africa does not have options other than implementing good policies to guide innovative activities in their own countries. But good policies require good knowledge produced through high quality research.” She says She further explained that in order for the African Continent to avoid marginalization, the Continent must address innovation knowledge imbalance by producing more knowledge that is relevant to its context; work more on connecting existing knowledge to use. She went on to say, that cannot happen in the absence of adequate capacity for such activities.


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  • Methodology Meeting for Research on South-South and Triangular Cooperation

    Starting from 12th to 14th October 2015, The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Research Organization (STIPRO) in collaboration with Southern Voice Network Secretariat, Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) and Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) is hosting a three day methodology Meeting on South-South and Triangular Cooperation and strategy meeting on the Future of Southern Voice at White Sand Hotel in Dar es Salaam. The Guest of Honor (Pictured right) during a Southern Voice Workshop Eng. Happiness Mgalula (STIPRO) who represented Executive Secretary of the Tanzania Planning Commission delivering the speech. The meeting was organized following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. Southern Voice is ready to embark upon the next lap as a network of 49 think tanks from Africa, Asia and Latin America, serving as an open platform to make contribution to the international discourse on the SDGs. South-South Cooperation (SSC) is recognized by stakeholders as a potential source of development inputs towards the implementation of the Post-2015 international development agenda. Triangular cooperation (Trc), in which traditional donor countries and multilateral organizations facilitate South-South initiatives has also become a theme of discussion. Speaking during that Workshop, STIPRO Executive Director Dr. Bitrina Diyamet noted that the Meeting aimed at discussing study methodology of the research programmes for harnessing the potential of South–South Cooperation in the context of implementing Post 2015 Development Agenda. She further explained that STIPRO andSouthern Voice network decided to bring together Think Tanks from Africa, Asia and Latin America to brainstorm on a Strategic Plan on the future of the Southern Voice Network inline with the 2030 development agenda. “STIPRO has been conducting different Research projects on how some Millennium development goals failed in Tanzania compared to other countries. Through this Meeting, we are now in a good position to discuss with other think tanks of the South-South about the areas in the implementation of the post-2015 international development agenda. This can help our research reports to be used by policy makers in our countries and adopt the evidence based decision making system.” - She said. For her part, the Guest of Honor Eng. Happiness Mgalula who represented the Executive Secretary of the Tanzania Planning Commission, said Tanzania is at the moment just two weeks after finishing 15 years of pursuing the full implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Research Organization (STIPRO) Executive Director Dr. Bitrina Diyamet gives the opening remarks. “At this particular juncture, our hearts and minds are still full of memories and lessons we have gained during those past 15 years of implementing the MDGs. She noted adding that she was very optimistic about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and hope for a better future of South countries during the next 15 years. Chairman of the Southern Voice on Post 2015 International Development Goals Professor Debapriya Bhattacharya noted that, the time has come where the South-South should be well represented in the development agenda of the North. “As a chair of of the Southern Voice network, together with my fellow colleagues, we see that there is no way rather than to include the South countries in setting development agenda and goals for their society. This meeting will help us to predict sustainability of our cooperation together with their challenges” - He insisted. Chairman of the Southern Voice on Post-2015 International Development Goals Prof. Debapriya Bhattacharya (First right) takes some notes during a Southern Voice Workshop Dar es Salaam. Looking on are Representative of the Guest of Honor Eng. Happiness Mgalula and STIPRO Executive Director Dr. Bitrina Diyamet A cross-section of the Workshop participants A cross-section of the Workshop participants A group photo of Workshop participants at White sands Hotel - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Detailed information regarding the event can be obtained here: http://southernvoice-postmdg.org/southern-voice-to-explore-second-generation-issues-of-south-south-cooperation/ Click to view more photos of the event: DAY-1 | DAY-3


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