Presentation outline 1 Research innovations and agribusiness what is it about? 2 Enhancing research impact for food security SMEs in economic development for food security: Innovation and research commercialization. Commercializing research products through agribusiness incubation: Benefits and challenges By: Kimani Muturi Managing director, ABP September 25 th 2015 Afribanana s experience Research innovations & agribusiness what is it about? 3 Accelerating the transfer of new technologies. from the laboratory to the production and commercial marketplace Better delivery of scientific discoveries to the marketplace Assist technology start-ups in their vulnerable inception stages, enabling them to grow and flourish Foster growth of entrepreneurial start-up companies commercializing innovations and research outcomes 4 Importance The importance of commercializing research outcomes is to empower the engine for economic development through: Creation of employment opportunities Technology transfer acceleration Creating a sink for producer s outputs Wealth creation Challenges The main challenge for commercializing research outcomes for economic development is the slow progress from subsistence to commercial agriculture - due to: Small producers scattered in villages and working individually Inadequate access and use of improved technologies Low investment in post-production segments De-link in agricultural commodity value chains Inadequate processes that support agri-enterprise emergency and survival Possible solutions Research outside the box Generate technologies, innovations and management practices (TIMPs) Disseminate the TIMPs through various uptake pathways (incubators, extension, farmers) link enterprises and farmers to industrialists Realization: Involvement in processes that facilitate entrepreneurs to; take up the TIMPs, develop them into commercial products, and market them Agribusiness Incubation fills the gap How? 5 What is a business incubator?! 6 Agribusiness Incubator is a legal entity created in order to support small business entities upon startup, by providing them with infrastructure for growth and incubator development incubatees Partner/s
Incubator services 1. links between innovators, universities and research organisations, and entrepreneurs 2. Business and Technical coaching & mentoring 3. Technical support to products development and quality assurance 4. Business development and management support 5. Market research and product marketing 6. Scientific and business consultancy 7. Links entrepreneurs to funding institutions 8. Access to facilities 9. Access to markets 7 Overview of the UniBRAIN incubator model (Universities, Business and Research in Agribusiness Innovation) UniBRAIN s development objective To contribute to enabling African countries to create jobs and raise incomes through sustainable agribusiness development Outputs: 1. Commercialization of agribusiness innovations 2. Training of Agribusiness graduates who are efficient entrepreneurs 3. Sharing and up-scaling of innovative outputs, experiences and practices 8 Agribusiness Incubation centres supported by UniBRAIN in Africa 6 Value chain Incubators: Zambia, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Mali Why Focus on Universities for employment and food security African universities are less sufficiently geared to meet the needs of industry. Graduates often cannot find employment, while many small businesses lack staff with the education and skills needed to drive innovation. Essentially, the relationship between the demands of the private sector and what universities teach is too weak. 10 9 UniBRAIN Agribusiness Innovation Incubator Business Model Offering graduate start ups: Mentoring Couching Business planning Offering graduates Marketing Financing Research Offering firms seeking new markets: Market intelligence Market analyses Building sustainable businesses for job and wealth creation Business consortium based on commodity value chain Offering firms diversifying: Technology transfer and access services University Offering firms expanding: Partnerships and networking Offering faculty: Hands-on experience, Internships, Business advice on curricular Successful role models Private sector
Some achievements so far since 2012 UniBRAIN Partners. Partner Institution Role played at the incubator 1 FARA Strategic support, process streamlining, monitoring & evaluation 1 ICRISAT Hand holding support to incubator management creating and strengthening incubator operational systems 2 PanAAC Business Mentorship and Couching, Business plan development Partnerships and networking 3 ANAFE Support in curricula design and review Improvement of agribusiness education Dissemination of best practices Development of Learn As you earn model 4 ASARECA Support in development of innovations in banana value chain Identification of intellectual property rights along banana value chain Bridging the gap between the incubator and private sector Support to research leading to new products for commercialisation 14 The Case of Afribanana Agribusiness Incubator 16 1. Link Universities to private sector 2. Commercialize University projects/ innovations 3. Improve University curriculum 4. Support young graduates with hands on experiences How? Partner Kyambogo University Mbarara University Uganda Industrial Research Institute National council for Science and Technology NARO (Mbazardi) AfriBanana Partners 17Role Lead partner Laboratory experiments Research and innovations product development Laboratory experiments Research and innovations product development Field demonstrations Value addition support Access to food processing facilities Innovations commercialisation Industrial property rights Quality assurance Access to new technologies and Innovations Hands on experience Training Banana Value Chain 18
Commercialised Technologies in banana Value Chain 19 Success stories Impact of commercialization of innovations/research outputs and business incubation 20 Tissue culture seedlings Biodegradable paper products Fresh Vacuum sealed bananas Textile and crafts Banana juice Banana Wine Charcoal briquettes Direct jobs,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 650 Indirect jobs. 1,726 Total jobs created.. 2,376 Number of farmers reached..3,970 Number of SMEs supported 20 Number of new business created 32 Number of students supported..284 From laboratory to market place: A case of graduate incubatee in banana juice 21 Graduate Incubatee in banana Juice Production 22 Industrial training at ABP Industrial Attachment outcome Banana Juice production Full time Staff Earning 400 USD while learning Laboratory Juice processing Equipment Banana Juice Cont: Number of jobs created by TURSAM Direct jobs..15 Indirect jobs.32 Total jobs created...47 Number of farmers reached. 250 Number of interns supported.. 8 23 Conclusion Create incentives for youth to engage in agribusiness through innovation Commercialization along the value chains. (IT, processing, Packaging, Branding marketing. Transport, machinery etc) Universities should offer relevant programmes and direct innovations to address challenges facing the private sector. Research at the Universities should have a Commercialization feature. 24 CEO. TURSAM INVESTMENTS LTD
25 Thank you mkimani@afribananaproducts.com muturiza@gmail,com