1

TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS & INNOVATIONS INCUBATION CENTER

(TBIIC)

PROGRESS REPORT

BY

MR. AMBROSE ASHABAHEBWA

TBIIC COORDINATOR

APRIL, 2020

2

1.0 Introduction

The Busitema University Technology Business and Innovations Incubation Centre

(BU-TBIIC) is a semi-autonomous arm of the university, and was established in

2017. The main objective of the TBIIC is to support the development of university

research outputs into marketable products and services thereby solving

socioeconomic problems within the society. Busitema University students and

staffs engage in various innovation and research activities, which most of the time

remain at prototype level after completion of the research period. TBIIC facilitates

the process of developing these prototypes into marketable products and services.

This venture continues to support viable student and/or staff projects (prototypes),

most of which are technology based to be fully developed into usable machines or

processes to solve technology gaps in areas of Agriculture, value addition, ICT, and

Health.

Additionally, the TBIIC is focusing on recruiting and supporting external budding

entrepreneurs, who have innovative ideas but with limited technical and logistical

capacities to develop these ideas into usable and commercializable products and

services. TBIIC focuses at facilitating this process, by providing the necessary

facilities, equipment and technical support for producing and marketing the

products. The external entrepreneurs will be facilitated to scale up their production

in terms of quality and quantity and focus them towards manufacturing. This will

not only create jobs for the incubatees, but also create solutions to societal

problems and also contribute to national development. TBIIC is focusing on three

key areas, namely; technology development and transfer, business development

and incubation sustainability.

TBIIC is a venture that has great potential for advancing the research agenda of

the university by acting as a linkage for technology development and transfer from

university to society through incubation and outreach.

2.0 Achievements of the TBIIC since inception

Since 2017, the TBIIC through its operations has achieved the following.

2.1. Development of the TBIIC operational/business plan

3

This is a document that was developed to define the formation, mandate, and key

operational structures of the TBIIC. This documents was passed by the University

council as an operational instrument for the first five years (2016/17-2020) of the

TBIIC operations.

2.2 Development of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

A total of seventeen (17) SOPs were developed to streamline the operations of the

TBIIC. These included among others administrative procedures, financial

management, incubatees’ recruitment, incubation process, graduation of

incubates, and post-graduation follow up. These are vital for the smooth and guided

implementation of the TBIIC activities.

2.3 Development of the short course curricula

The TBIIC in conjunction with the Faculty of Engineering, Busitema University

developed a Skills Development Program (SDP) for training and equipping especially

the youth with hands-on skills. This program is on a short term basis (3-6 months),

and aims at producing highly trained and skilled human resource urgently needed

in the wide range of industries. It targets community youths who would like to

have hands-on skills for self-employment or other forms of employment. The areas

of focus include welding and metal part fabrication, Post-harvest handling &

processing technologies, Irrigation technologies & Innovations, and Automotive repair

& Maintenance. The detailed curricula for each of the short courses have been

iteratively developed and submitted to senate for final review before submission to

Council for approval. Once these short courses are approved, the TBIIC together

with Faculty of Engineering will take advantage of the already existing

infrastructure at the University, mainly the mechanical workshop and technical

expertise to train highly skilled personnel in the above mentioned courses.

2.4. Recruitment of incubatees

Incubation of technologies, which have business potential in them is the core

mandate of the TBIIC. Recruitment of incubatees is an essential process that

provides for scrutiny of project proposals, review & selection, and admission into

the TBIIC. So far two Cohorts of incubatees have been recruited, with a total

number of nine incubatees. Additionally two other projects have been developed

and improved within the TBIIC. And these are the animal forage cutter and the

Hybrid Bicycle and Solar irrigation project. This brings the total number of

incubated projects and those being incubated to eleven (11). And these projects are

as outlined below.

4

Project What it does Progress (Some photos) Project team

Leader

First Cohort projects

Automatic

RFID

supermarket

billing

system:

For reading and compiling the bills of

items packed together e.g. shopping

basket or bag altogether at once, as

opposed to the current systems,

which use bar codes that capture the

prices of items one by one.

The advantage with this system is

that it does not expose in public what

the client has brought from the

shelves of the supermarket to the

counter for billing. The items remain

in the bag.

Fig 1: On table is the RFID supermarket billing

system. The team member is demonstrating

how it works. It is nearing completion, and the

team is awaiting graduation from the TBIIC

Dr. Semwogerere

Twaibu

5

Digital

Emergency

Referral

System

(DERS) – for

patients

For quick and swift referral of

emergency patients to higher level

medical services.

Fig 2: Team member at the server for the

system and demonstrating how it works. Also

nearing completion and the team awaits

graduation from the TBIIC.

Prof. Peter

Olupot Olupot

Improved

hydropower

tiller

For tillage in small scale paddy rice

farming. It is economical in terms of

power consumption and is relatively

lighter for easy movement in water-

logged rice gardens.

Eng. Kilama

George

6

Fig 3: Eng. Kilama demonstrating some of the

fabricated parts. This is work in progress, and

is at testing stage.

Other Projects

Animal forage

cutter

For making animal silage especially

for zero grazing animals.

Fig. 4: Five units of the developed forage cutter.

First phase of the project was completed, and

the units tested with the farmers.

With funds availed, the 2nd phase shall be

undertaken with recommended improvements

from the farmers.

Mr. David

Kisambira

7

Hybrid

Bicycle and

solar

irrigation

project

Irrigation of small to medium scale

vegetable gardens (about 1 acre)

Fig. 5: Parts of the Hybrid system being tested

in grass field. Fabrication was completed

though a proper garden for testing is yet to be

established. This is work in Progress.

Mr. Bennedicto

Maseruka

Second cohort projects

An improved

solar-biomass

hybrid fish dryer

For drying fish using solar-biomass

technique, which is more hygienic

and cost effective.

Mr. Wangi

Godfrey mario

8

Fig 6: The investigator was interacting with

fishermen and also taking specifications of fish

(Tilapia). This is work in progress.

Development

of Organic &

Bio-

Fertilizers

Promote natural farming through

pilot production and testing of

organic and bio-fertilizers; Bokashi,

bone meal/super-phosphate, bio-

fertilizer and vinegar in Busia

district.

Fig 7: Test being taken on the soil where the

bio-fertiliser has been used. This is work in

Progress.

Mr. Denis Bwire

9

Engine

powered

ground nut

stripping

machine

This machine is to for stripping

groundnuts by small and medium

scale farmers. It is designed to

increase stripping output with

reduced drudgery. Delays during

stripping in the garden exposes

groundnuts to contamination with

aflatoxin, which lowers the quality of

the ground nuts. The design of this

machine aims at increasing the

stripping output, thus boosting

farmers’ production and income

with minimum post-harvest losses.

Fig 8: Developed 3-D model for the machine. It

is work in progress.

Mr. Obeti Grism

Lawrence.

A solar powered

sewer sucker

technology

for pit latrine

emptying

This is a technology that is being

developed for assisting urban

authorities on how to empty pit

latrines especially in slum areas, to

which the regular sewage carriers

cannot access. This is a mobile

system that can move in the

corridors of the ghetto areas and can

help to empty toilets in such places.

Mr. Makumbi

Thomas

10

Fig 9: This is the 3-D model of the proposed

technology. It is work in progress.

Mobile phone

application

for monitoring

non-

communicable

disease (NCD)

risk factors

This application will be used to disseminate

health information about NCDs to

individuals as well as inculcate a culture of

health monitoring in relation to some vital

parameters e.g. blood pressure, body mass

index and blood sugar levels. This is aimed at

improving health literacy and motivating the

making informed choices in life styles and

also enable early detection of non-

communicable diseases.

Fig 10: Some of the equipment used to develop

the app. Work in progress.

Dr. Denis

Bwayo, Mr.

Kanyike Andrew

Marvin.

Automated

drip irrigation

system

This is a system that meters and

discharges irrigation water at a time

when it is really needed. It is a sensor

based system and powered by solar

that controls the entire system for

distributing water to a crop

especially during water stress

periods.

It is work in progress.

Okirya Martin

11

2.5. Technology transfer through outreach

The second major function of the TBIIC is technology transfer to the user

communities. This can be achieved through outreach programs such as farmer

field schools (FFS), trade shows, and exhibitions. Three exhibitions have been

attended so far, and several innovations were exhibited. These are;

1. During the two graduation ceremonies at Busitema university that

took place on 3rd October 2018 and 3rd October 2019.

2. Jinja national agricultural show that took place between 12th and

21st July 2019.

From the exhibitions, it was clear that the university technology outputs, if

developed can have tremendous impact on society. In all the exhibitions, the

participants e.g. parents, farmers and entrepreneurs, who visited our stalls

always showed interest in some of the innovations. In fact, some people wanted to

pay cash and take the prototypes especially the forage cutting machine. These

technologies are being further developed for increased performance efficiency and

reduced operational cost. Figure 11 shows the photos from some of the

exhibitions.

12

Fig 11: Photos of exhibitions

2.6. Collaborations (PSFU, MUBS, Kaliro farmers group)

The TBIIC has established strong links and collaborations with several partners in

government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the Private sector

organizations. The partners include Makerere University Business school (MUBS),

Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), Kaliro Farmers group, among several

others. This is a trend that will be continued to establish strong synergies for

innovation development, testing, production and marketing.

2.7. TBIIC Budgetary allocation

The TBIIC was started using the seed fund from the African Development Bank.

For the activities of the TBIIC to continue, it requires sufficient and consistent

funding from other sources. For the first time the TBIIC budget was developed and

included in the University budget for the FY 2019/20 and 2020/21, which should

be consistent and increased to enable the smooth running of the activities.

3.0 Challenges

3.1 Understaffing

13

To achieve the core objectives of the TBIIC, it is necessary to constitute and

strengthen the operation and management team. It is extremely hard for one person

at the moment to fully exercise all the duties of the center. As per the TBIIC

operational workplan 2016-2020, the TBIIC organizational structure indicates that

the center is supposed to be headed by a Director, assisted by administrative

assistant, Business services manager, and two technical staff (Figure 12). For the

TBIIC to run effectively this team composition is very important. I strongly

recommend that this team be instituted if TBIIC is to grow strong and steadily.

Figure 11: TBIIC organization structure

3.2 Limited financing

The university/government will require to increase the budget allocation to the

TBIIC for it to be able to fully establish itself before it can be self-sustaining.

3.3 Limited space for office & storage of innovations

It should be noted that the innovations beings developed and those yet to be

developed will require to be kept in a tidy and secure place. Additionally, the current

TBIIC office is annexed to the workshop, and the place is not quite conducive for

desk work. In future it will require to have a separate unit or structure for storage

of innovations as well as office for the TBIIC.

4.0 Recommendations

i) Allocate adequate funding for TBIIC activities

14

ii) Recruit and structure the TBIIC operation management team as per the

operational workplan 2016 – 2020

5.0 Future prospects

Develop sustainable linkages with industry on the progressive technology

and business demands especially for farmers and agro-processors.

Sustain the recruitment and support of incubatees (administratively,

technically and financially).

Partner with other BICs in developing usable products and services.

6.0 Conclusion

The development of research outputs into marketable products and services, and

support of entrepreneurs to achieve business growth is the core mission of TBIIC

and its relevance cannot be overemphasized. With continued support from the

university structure, government and other partners, the potential of this venture

to create jobs, increase university visibility and transform lives of communities is

immensely unlimited.

Thank you.

Ambrose Ashabahebwa

TBIIC Coordinator

15

Other photos

Fig. Innovator demonstrating hydropower tiller at the TBIIC.

Fig. Machine for cleaning dry coffee at the TBIIC

16

Fig. Animal forage cutter machine developed at the TBIIC

17

Fig. Students in mentoring session by TBIIC

18

Fig. Students in mentoring session by TBIIC