REBUILDING UNIVERSITY INNOVATION AND INCUBATION SYSTEMS UNDER THE EU FUNDED UPLIFT AGRICULTURE PROJECT

Across Africa, universities are full of ideas.

What they often lack are strong systems to support the conversion of the ideas into intellectual properties and clear commercialization pathways. Sustainable incubation models, coordinated industry engagement, and structured support for innovators are among the greatest needs.

Through the Universities Promoting Linkages for Impactful Training, Innovation and Technology Transfer in Agriculture (UPLIFT-Ag) project, partner universities in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Zimbabwe are strengthening their innovation and incubation ecosystems in practical and measurable ways.

Why Incubation Matters

Across the four African countries, universities face similar challenges:

• Underdeveloped intellectual property pipelines.
• Limited commercialization pathways for research products to reach markets.
• Weak and often fragmented industry linkages.
• Financial sustainability challenges within incubators.

The UPLIFT-Ag project approached this challenge strategically by strengthening the structures that support innovation. The result is increasing institutional capacity strengthening across the consortium.

Reforms to strengthen innovation support at Kenyatta University

At Kenyatta University (KU), the Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (BIIC), established in 2011, underwent a major operational review in 2024.

After 13 years of operation, gaps were identified including, high mentorship costs that are unsustainable, inadequate prototyping capacity, over-reliance on university funding, equity ownership model in startups that did not align with global best practice, limited commercialization expertise, and weak industry linkages.

Proposals were made to introduce service-based revenue models and a shift from equity ownership to structured IP commercialization frameworks that focus more on university owned IP.  Other gaps were to be addressed by revamping the human resource capacity through recruitment of a commercialization expert and a grant-writing/resource mobilization specialist were initiated. A centralized Industry Relations Office was proposed alongside the development of a Digital Incubation Management System. The automaton of operations will enhance efficiency and strengthen monitoring.

Strengthening Intellectual Property and Commercialization at KU

On 15^th July 2025, KU hosted a major staff training on IP development, protection and commercialization. The training attracted 166 participants, demonstrating growing institutional interest. The training focused on:

1. Importance of embedding innovation in research.
2. IP valuation and protection.
3. Disclosure process and patent drafting.
4. Accessing prototyping facilities and support.
5. Commercialization pathways.

Additional training was conducted under the KU–Louisiana State University Innovation Capacity Strengthening (KLICS) project. This training covered:

• Technology Transfer Office operations
• Marketing Tech Transfer Office services
• Customer discovery
• Innovation parks
• Faculty engagement in innovation

University of Rwanda: supporting capacity building for the UPLIFT consortium

To support the capacity development among members of the UPLIFT-Ag consortium the University of Rwanda (UR) coordinated the development of training guides on (1) Facility Design (2) Technology Transfer and Commercialization. These guides provide practical direction on how universities can design innovation facilities and manage commercialization processes effectively. The guides are available for use by the individual consortium members as they cascade the trainings internally.

UNILAK: Institutionalizing Agribusiness Incubation

University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK) focused on institutionalizing its Agribusiness Incubation and Innovation Hub by developing four important policies:

• An Incubation Admission Policy
• A Training & Mentorship Policy
• A Graduation Policy
• A Monitoring & Evaluation Policy

These policies clarify who will be admitted into the incubator, how startups will be supported, and how performance will be tracked, ensuring incubation is professional carried out in an accountable manner.

UNILAK also organized a prototype competition and awarded three green innovation winners.

University of Burundi: Launch of the Center of Innovation and Technology Transfer (CITRATECH) 

In November 2025, the University of Burundi strengthened its innovation ecosystem through the launch and enhanced visibility of its multidisciplinary incubator; the Center of Innovation and Technology Transfer (CITRATECH).

In a context where innovation actors often work in isolation, CITRATECH is designed to serve as a bridge, connecting researchers, students, entrepreneurs, industry, and government.

The launch workshop brought together university leadership, national higher education representatives, researchers, private sector actors, and leaders of existing incubators. The focus was clear: move from fragmented efforts to coordinated action.

Discussions centered on:

• Strengthening applied research and technology transfer
• Improving collaboration between incubators
• Creating structured monitoring for startups
• Building stronger university–industry partnerships

Following the workshop, the University of Burundi initiated collaboration with local incubators in Bujumbura to align business models and strengthen the wider innovation ecosystem.

Through CITRATECH, the university is positioning itself not just as a training institution, but as an active driver of entrepreneurship and economic development in Burundi.

University of Ngozi: Growing an Agri-Tech Innovation Pipeline

The University of Ngozi is steadily building its innovation ecosystem from the ground up. With support from UPLIFT-Ag, the university has developed operational guidelines and a clear business model for its emerging Incubation Center.  The university actively mapped existing student startups to identify high-potential ventures. Among them was AgriHyphen AI, an agri-tech prototype focused on digital agricultural solutions. During the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025, students received hands-on training in:

• Opportunity identification
• Business model development
• Access to financing
• Practical mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs

These activities are building more than startups. They are cultivating entrepreneurial confidence and strengthening links between students and the private sector. The University of Ngozi is positioning itself as a future hub for student-led agritech innovation in northern Burundi.

Zimbabwe Open University: Financing Innovation Internally

A major challenge hindering innovation support in African Universities is the lack of sustainable financing. Zimbabwe Open University has addressed this by institutionalizing financial support for innovation. This was achieved through financial model that allocates:

• 5% of student fees to research and innovation
• 5% of enterprise proceeds to commercialization

This is a remarkable decision that other partners of the UPLIFT.Ag project will learn from. The financing will not only support the development of start-ups, it will also attract additional investment from private sector and other sources of capital. Already the funds availed have supported innovations in IoT crop disease applications, solar-powered agricultural systems, and composting-based circular models.

Innovation in Action: The BSF story at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT)

CUT has clearly demonstrated how institutional reforms build a strong foundation for innovation.

From Waste to Wealth - A Black Soldier Fly Innovation

CUT’s Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technology addresses organic waste challenges while strengthening agricultural value chains. In small urban centers like Chinhoyi, up to 60 metric tonnes of organic waste are generated daily. CUT’s BSF system converts this waste into high-protein livestock feed (approx. 60% protein) and nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. The system further contributes to reduced feed production costs (estimated 40–60%), lower greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced dependence on imported soy and fishmeal.

In 2025, CUT filed two patents linked to this innovation, demonstrating movement from research to protected, scalable technology. The BSF facility integrates circular economy principles, environmental sustainability, and student training. This is a perfect example of applied innovation with commercial potential, that integrates students’ entrepreneurial capacity building.

The new generation BSF cutento fly chamber at Chinhoyi University of technology

Tobacco Industry support for innovation at CUT

CUT partnered with the Tobacco Leaf Exporters’ Association of Zimbabwe to launch a student Innovation Challenge for low-cost, sustainable water heating systems. The competition attracted 40 student submissions and was adjudicated by university and industry experts. The winners were awarded prize money and tuition sponsorship. The University secured commitment for this to be an annual event.

This model demonstrates effective university–industry collaboration where:

• Industry defines a real problem.
• Students design solutions.
• The university supports innovation.
• Industry invests in talent.

Learning from Europe

African Universities in the UPLIFT Agriculture project visited Hochschule Neu-Ulm (Germany) and Università Politecnica delle Marche (Italy) to explore how European universities link research, education, and industry.  Key takeaways include:

• Driving Innovation: European universities use Technology Transfer Offices and innovation spaces to turn research ideas into real-world solutions, guiding students and staff through commercialization, intellectual property protection, and industry collaboration.
• Hands-On Agricultural Training: Students learn through project-based and experiential training, including working with industry equipment, precision-agriculture tools, and real farm challenges, preparing them for careers in agriculture.
• Strong Industry & Alumni Networks: Collaboration with regional industries and alumni-led businesses creates opportunities for internships, mentorship, and entrepreneurship, benefiting both universities and the local economy.
• Global Perspective: International staff and student exchanges, guest lectures, and cross-cultural learning help universities produce globally employable graduates while expanding networks and institutional visibility.

These lessons are now shaping curriculum innovation, industry linkages, and entrepreneurship programs across African partner universities, strengthening innovation capacity and graduate readiness.

Beyond Startups: Building Systems That Last

UPLIFT-Ag is not simply supporting individual student ideas. It is:

• Strengthening intellectual property pipelines.
• Reforming incubation business models.
• Professionalizing technology transfer.
• Embedding industry collaboration.
• Strengthening capacity building for entrepreneurship
• Linking research to market.

Across the four African countries, universities are repositioning themselves as engines of agricultural innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development.