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The newly appointed United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Ms Lovita Ramguttee, has praised the University of Botswana’s Innovation Pod (UNIPOD) for its role in driving innovation and youth empowerment. Ms Ramguttee made the remarks during a courtesy visit on Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, which included a tour of the facility.

Ms Ramguttee commended the strong partnerships underpinning UNIPOD and its dedication to nurturing innovators from the ideation stage through to commercialisation. She stressed that real success rested on building projects that were financially sustainable and capable of thriving beyond donor support.

Further, Ms Ramguttee underscored the importance of institutionalising UNIPOD’s impact and envisioning long term government support through dedicated budget lines. While acknowledging current fiscal constraints, she pledged to explore both financial and non-financial avenues to sustain the initiative including international collaborations and ambassadorial engagement.

Ms Ramgutte  proposed leveraging global networks to connect Botswana’s innovators with counterparts abroad, suggesting that partnerships such as exchange programmes with  innovators across the globe for meaningful support even without direct funding. She reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to nurturing the initiative and praised the team’s efforts.  “I’m impressed. Really well done,” she said.

Meanwhile, UNIPOD Director, Professor Richie Moalosi, highlighted the centre’s achievements, noting that it had already begun to shape Botswana’s innovation landscape. He revealed that the UNIPOD was currently supporting 18 ongoing projects and onboarding 21 new ones, involving a total of 35 innovators. Furthermore, he explained that the innovations spanned from early-stage ideas to market-ready prototypes.

Also, he pointed out that among the standout initiatives was a platform to digitise indigenous knowledge while other projects included collaborations on solar powered solutions for rural communities, digital manufacturing training and introducing robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to underserved schools.

For his part, Professor Norris stressed the urgency of economic diversification, pointing out Botswana’s heavy reliance on diamonds and the missed opportunity to fully harness the potential of its highly educated youth.

Consequently, he described the UNIPOD as a “spark” capable of igniting national innovation and economic growth, aligning with the University’s founding mandate to contribute to national development through impactful research and commercialisation.

“The partnership with UNDP is not just valuable, it’s transformative,” said Prof Norris. “It’s a model that can be emulated by other institutions and it opens the door for anyone with talent to engage.”

Launched in December 2024, the UNIPOD is a collaborative initiative between the University of Botswana, UNDP, BIUST and Ministry of Education and Skills Development. It was established to accelerate innovation, entrepreneurship and economic diversification in Botswana.