• Mucheru said tough times and challenges call for research, science, technology, and innovation to facilitate the country’s social and economic development.
• The inaugural Kenya Innovation Week recognises and celebrates innovators and players in the national innovation ecosystem.
The challenges facing the country can be solved through innovative approaches, ICT and innovation CS Joe Mucheru has said.
CS Mucheru said innovators need to tap their skills and use them to facilitate the country’s social and economic development.
"Our economy, as with the rest of the world, was significantly stressed by the pandemic. Unemployment and under-employment amongst the youth, who are major innovators, remain high," Mucheru said on Monday.
The CS spoke at the Kenya School of Government, Lower Kabete in Kiambu during the opening of the Kenya Innovation week that will run until Friday. The theme of the innovation week is 'The Innovativeness of Kenyans'.
Mucheru said tough times and challenges call for research, science, technology, and innovation to facilitate the country’s social and economic development.
The inaugural Kenya Innovation Week recognises and celebrates innovators and players in the national innovation ecosystem.
The event has attracted organisations, start-ups and incubators showcasing various product and service innovations to address needs or gaps in the market.
Mucheru said the forum has great prospects of advancing the national priorities of the Big Four agenda, Vision 2030 and Africa Union's Agenda 2063.
He said a well-coordinated, developed and visible national innovation ecosystem is vital for innovations to grow and make economic value.
Mucheru lauded the Ministry of Education and the Kenya National Innovation Agency for recognising innovation as a defining pillar of Kenya’s development.
The CS said economies develop by exploiting their innovation potential and creating a conducive ecosystem for its output to reach the market as goods and services.
"The creation and adoption of a culture of research, development and innovation in Kenya will improve productivity, reduce costs, increase competitiveness, improve quality, brand recognition and value, foster new partnerships and relationships, increase turnover and improve profitability," the CS said.
Mucheru said investment in research and development by small and large enterprises, can enable local innovators and start-ups with high growth potential to attract investors and venture capitalists, and effectively launch and grow our innovations in the global market.
The CS said the innovation ecosystem in Kenya is currently fragmented with some overlaps, especially around resource mobilisation and allocation.
Mucheru said ideation, implementation and value creation are major aspects of innovation development and management, and clear policies and strategies are critical to achieving this.
He said his ministry and that of Education will harmonise and streamline the existing synergies by developing and adopting clear policies and strategies aimed at enhancing the economic value of innovations.