UniPod Launches in Zambia: Fostering Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship
A groundbreaking initiative, the University Innovation Pod (UniPod), has been launched in Zambia through a partnership between AccLab Zambia, Copperbelt University – Ecampus (CBU), and the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research. This pioneering project aims to create a dedicated space at CBU for youth innovation, offering opportunities for ideation, training, coaching, and skill-building for aspiring young entrepreneurs.
The UniPod is a physical facility that will serve as a hub for refining innovations and developing solutions to address societal challenges. Its primary focus is to support students from low-income backgrounds in fabricating, prototyping, and transforming their innovative ideas into viable ventures. With a generous seed investment of USD600,000 from Timbuktoo, the UNDP’s new Pan-African financing project, CBU will construct a state-of-the-art Pod that will serve as a national asset benefiting the entire country.
Professor John Bwalya emphasized the UniPod’s significance as a platform for young minds to design solutions that address societal problems. He sees it as an opportunity for students to contribute to the development of the nation. Ms. Jane Chinkusu, the Director of the Ministry of Technology and Science – Zambia, highlighted the UniPod’s potential to translate the efforts of youth innovators into impactful development programs for the country.
Stakeholders from the government, private sector, and civil society organizations expressed the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing for the success of the UniPod. They recognized the need for mentorship, marketing skills, mindset change, and community testing opportunities for innovators. Past recipients of the National Innovation Initiative (NII) awards, supported by UNDP Zambia and the National Technology Business Centre, also voiced their expectations for the UniPod. They stressed the importance of creating an enabling environment for innovation, including addressing regulatory guidelines, streamlining patent and copyright processes, and reducing production costs to overcome barriers in launching innovations in the market.
The UniPod represents a significant step forward in Zambia’s innovation ecosystem, providing young entrepreneurs with the necessary resources, guidance, and support to transform their ideas into impactful solutions. It is anticipated that this initiative will unleash the potential of the youth, drive economic growth, and contribute to the overall development of the country.
