MKU unveil state of art innovation and incubation Centre
The Mount Kenya University (MKU) has commissioned the Innovation Hub at its Thika campus .
The centre, which was co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union through the African Higher Education Leadership for Advancing Inclusive Innovation for Development (AHEAD) project, is intended to support the life cycle of innovations, from inception to market diffusion and commercialization.
According to Benson Muthendi, the Chief executive officer of Youth Enterprise Development Fund, it will enable scientific findings, knowledge and intellectual property to flow from creators to the benefit of the community.
“The centre will admit its first cohort of 20 finalists out of a recently released call for innovation challenge 2022,” he said.
The innovations will be incubated for 6 months at Mount Kenya Innovation and Incubation Centre and receive support value of up-to Sh2,000,000 for all innovations.
The incubation package will include access to the facility, customized coaching by experts, access to state-of-the-art equipment’s and assistance in intellectual property protection and commercialization.
The ceremony culminated in a pitch competition to identify the top three award winning innovation.
Githinji G. Gatambu was named the overall winner for his innovation, Plastikrete a venture that seeks to repurpose waste plastic management by amalgamating molten plastic with additives and using it in place of rock ballast as a component in concrete casting, achieving the same great results as with mundane concrete.
He will benefit from Sh400,000 for his product development.
Nthuku Mumo came second with his innovation, Silo Feeds. A novel technology that utilises black soldier flies to valorise organic waste; to produce sustainable animal protein and organic soil conditioner.
The First Runners-up, will benefit from Sh250,000 seed funding while Margaret Wambui Wahome came in third with his innovation dubbed Gucone, A rapid diagnostic kit for testing chicken against Gumboro Disease.
She will benefit from Sh150,000 to develop her innovation.
“We are open to hold bilateral discussions with you like-minded organisations to help innovators in the discovery and development of new knowledge and its subsequent exploitation for the socio-economic development of the Kenyan people and the region in line with the objects of Kenya Vision 2030.,” Prof, Deogratius Jaganyi Vice-chancellor said.
On his part, the chief guest, Muthendi tasked the finalists to play their role in shaping the future of Kenya.
