Zimbabwe's universities have repositioned themselves as innovation centers that produce goods and reduce annual foreign imports worth billions of dollars. Midlands State University and the University of Zimbabwe told business leaders at a Victoria Falls conference that their institutions now manufacture products ranging from chemicals to agricultural goods through commercial partnerships with industry.
The country spends $9.3 billion on energy imports and over $1 billion each on pharmaceuticals and machinery from overseas suppliers. Universities have created 56 startup companies that make detergents, sanitizers and other products previously bought from abroad. Their facilities operate farms and research laboratories that supply corporations with locally made alternatives to imported items.
Academic institutions invite businesses to form joint ventures and sign supply agreements for products manufactured on campus. The University of Zimbabwe runs an industrial park, while Midlands State operates agricultural centers that grow citrus and raise livestock. Both schools offer translation services in all 16 national languages and provide diagnostic testing for commercial clients seeking domestic sources.
The country spends $9.3 billion on energy imports and over $1 billion each on pharmaceuticals and machinery from overseas suppliers. Universities have created 56 startup companies that make detergents, sanitizers and other products previously bought from abroad. Their facilities operate farms and research laboratories that supply corporations with locally made alternatives to imported items.
Academic institutions invite businesses to form joint ventures and sign supply agreements for products manufactured on campus. The University of Zimbabwe runs an industrial park, while Midlands State operates agricultural centers that grow citrus and raise livestock. Both schools offer translation services in all 16 national languages and provide diagnostic testing for commercial clients seeking domestic sources.
