NUST opens innovation hub with Finnish company
An innovation hub that connects Namibian university students and growth companies to global innovation activities has been established by the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) and Finnish company Demola Global. The innovation hub, Demola Hub is meant to increase industry academia collaboration and international connectivity on the innovation ecosystem in the country.
NUST said in a statement that the hub will connect local students and companies to global innovation activities, with the intention of contributing and utilising the global knowledge base of insights about the future and it will have a significant impact on the vitality of the Namibian innovation ecosystem.
NUST Vice-Chancellor, Dr Erold Naomab said the High-Tech Transfer Plaza Select (HTTPS) building at NUST is neatly aligned with the mission of Demola Global and it provides a technologically inspired ecosystem focusing on the university’s creativity and talent. “This will enable future innovations that can be taken to market by the industry and deliver benefits to the society,” he said.
Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Finland, Ville Skinnari said Finland and Namibia have a historical and warm relationship, which provides a solid ground for cooperation and Finnish innovation know how is internationally top-level and the Finnish and Namibian universities already have a successful history of collaboration.
“This background creates a solid basis for a new kind of innovation partnership, as is the case now with Demola and NUST. This is a very welcome initiative that will offer opportunities and benefits, not only to Namibian businesses and start-ups, but also the global community,” added Skinnari.
Demola Global Chief Executive, Ville Kairamo said their mission is to create global innovation capital that is based on a continuous chain of innovation and future projects. “This knowledge base is shared and utilised globally among all parties. We warmly welcome NUST as a close member to the Demola alliance and as an active contributor to future innovations. We strongly believe that Namibian students have unlimited opportunities in the international innovation field and a way to stand out,” added Kairamo.
The innovation activities at Demola Namibia Hub will start immediately and in the first phase, students will bring their contributions to future work by joining global innovation teams. In 2023, NUST and Demola Global will open services to make a global knowledge base available for Namibian companies and star-ups to accelerate the development of future-proof strategies and new innovative solutions.
