MUUNI team lead, Wezi Salima
* Assessing the future impact of innovation ecosystem investments on sustainable socio-economic development in Malawi
* Currently, Malawi ranks lowly on the Global Innovation Index (2022), reflecting structural gaps due to strategies that rely on traditional economic models rather than knowledge-based, tech-driven frameworks
By Memory Kutengule Chatonda, MANA
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), through the MUUNI Fund, is set to conduct a foresight study to address unmet needs in the development of sustainable innovations as the country aspires to become an inclusive, wealthy and resilient through the MW2063 national vision.
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MUUNI team lead, Wezi Salima disclosed this on Monday in Blantyre during an International Telecommunication Union (ICU) acceleration centre; strategic foresight co-creation workshop for innovators in academia, donor-funded organisations, government and the private sector.
Salima said the study, which will be done under the theme; ‘Assessing the future impact of innovation ecosystem investments on sustainable socio-economic development in Malawi’ — among others — aims at aligning innovation with national and global development goals.
She observed that currently, Malawi ranks lowly on the Global Innovation Index (2022), reflecting structural gaps due to strategies that rely on traditional economic models rather than knowledge-based, tech-driven frameworks.
“The majority of innovative ideas are incubated but not accelerated because there is no market created yet,” she said. “Innovation is a key enabler, driving economic diversification, industrialisation and human capital development.
“This study, therefore, will explore how these investments will shape Malawi’s long-term socio-economic and we hope that at the end of it, we will find ways to move forward in the acceleration of ideas that are sustainable and marketable.”
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One of the innovators, Hope Sonjera, who worked on developing an integrated management system that would merge the payroll, information, land management and budget systems at Blantyre City Council to improve efficiency, conceded that she encountered various challenges.
“As innovators, we are meeting financial, technical and mentorship challenges that are affecting our innovations. We are optimistic that at the end of the study, we will see improved ways of promoting innovations,” Sonjera said.
The study is one of the initiatives under the ICT Acceleration Centre whereby MACRA, through MUUNI Fund, was selected as one of the 17 countries globally to host a National Acceleration Centre.
