Last week, the Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) held its first ever Konza Innovation Ecosystem Forum to bring together different stakeholders to showcase some of the innovation that can come out through such partnerships.
The inaugural Konza Innovation Ecosystem Forum saw two students from Meru University recognized by Konza Technopolis for creating a blockchain-based healthcare solution called BlockHealth. There has been a lot of talk regarding the use of blockchain in different sectors in Kenya and its refreshing to see university students pioneering that.
BlockHealth is still a concept and its main aim is to use blockchain technology to ensure integration of data in the healthcare industry. If successful, this will be the first and one of the most important applications of blockchain technology in the country.
Speaking during the forum, Jerome Ochieng, PS, Ministry of ICT said, “Partnerships are crucial for innovation to succeed. The government is working to provide an enabling environment for innovation to thrive.”
Konza Innovation Ecosystem Forum
This was the first Innovation ecosystem forum and KoTDA says that there will be more to come as it works with stakeholders and communities around Konza. Such forums will be used to showcase what good can come from different players working together.
“Innovation is an instrumental pillar in Konza Technopolis’ core mandate. Indeed, our focus areas in the innovation ecosystem are guided by direct investment in technology, smart urban planning and building a knowledge-intensive environment for stakeholders and the community,” Eng. John Tanui, Chief Executive Officer, KoTDA.
Besides the forum, KoTDA also held a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Bootcamp for potential innovators under 15 years of age. The two-day STEM Bootcamp brought together young innovators aged between 7 and 15 years from Machakos, Makueni and Kajiado County sponsored by Konza Technopolis and its partners.
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“Expanding opportunities so that children can reach their full potential in “tech” adoption is not only a “right” thing to do, but also makes good economic sense hence the STEM Bootcamp. Promoting the cognitive capital of children by finding new solutions to the barriers they face is an important contribution to the long term economic growth of any country,” concluded Eng. Tanui.