The Harare Institute of Technology has entered into a partnership with the mobile telecommunications firm, NetOne to promote game-changing innovations through research and development.
The MoU was signed by the HIT Vice-chancellor Eng. Quinton Kanhukamwe and the Chief Technology Officer for NetOne, Mr Darlington Gutu.
The partnership is set to stimulate skills and knowledge transfer, access to facilities, expertise, idea incubation, support for both parties as well as ensuring that innovative solutions are birthed, implemented and commercialized.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, HIT Vice Chancellor Eng. Kanhukamwe said the partnership is testimony to the convergence of minds and is vital in making breakthroughs in local, regional and international leadership in terms of technology development and industrialisation.
“HIT is currently setting the pace as the innovation institution in the country. Our thrust which is encapsulated in our mandate is development, incubation, transferring of and commercialization of technology. We thrive to make sure that the uniqueness of our mandate is jealously guarded and we are delighted that as small as we are the leaders in innovation and technology development,” he said.
Eng. Kanhukamwe also added that this relationship will help the two institutions to complement each other in as far as the transaction of ideas in technology and intellectual property is concerned.
In a speech read on his behalf by NetOne's Chief Technology Officer, Mr Darlington Gutu, the Chief Executive Officer Mr Lazarus Muchenje applauded this strategic partnership as the and first in the telecommunications sector, saying that Muchenje said that it will empower the community especially women and the youth.
“This partnership resonates with NetOne's vision to offer seamless communication delivered with an edge, buttressed by our mission to transform lives and develop communities through communication solutions. I am glad to say this partnership is a tool for us as a business to effectively fulfill our mandate,” he said.
Mr Muchenje said the partnership is to emancipate the community. "This partnership is a tool for the organisation as a business to effectively fulfill its mandate towards youth empowerment by leveraging on technology and innovation to capacitate young Zimbabweans to improve their income generating capacity.
“We are excited to be associated with HIT and look forward to a fruitful and mutually beneficial partnership that shall create a home grown innovation hub with world class capabilities that is locally inspired and globally recognised. We are confident that some of the innovations from this partnership shall be exported to other parts of the world and put Zimbabwe on the map as an active player in the 4th Industrial revolution," Mr Muchenje said.
He added that the partnership resonates with NetOne’s vision to offer seamless communication delivered with an edge, buttressed by our mission to transform the lives and develop communities through communication solutions. "Technology has undoubtedly changed the way businesses interact with consumers and continues to evolve. We are cognisant of the fact that young that young minds are very creative and rich in the idea generation,” he said.
The partnership model promotes the exchange of ideas and experimental learning which will extend an opportunity for HIT students to glean from NetOne experts through the exchange program which seeks to give them practical exposure on the job training and experience on the shop floor. Netone is also investing in human capital development and offering speed capital for research and development.
NetOne Head of Innovations, Mr Spencer Manguwa added that his institution had come to realise that technology institutions are leading and championing innovation, research and development. "NetOne has realised the creativeness of young minds and their capability of seeing opportunities, therefore, we decided to partner with HIT in developing the nation’s technological aspects. This will unlock opportunities for both entities as well as the potential to commercialise and monetise the innovative ideas that will be generated from this partnership,” he said.
