Nakalema, Musenero champion investor confidence at science summit

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As the National Science Summit 2025 gears up for the second day at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala city, State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU) head Col. Edith Nakalema has made a clarion call for greater synergy between scientific researchers and investors.

She says innovation will only drive Uganda to middle-income status if it is matched by deliberate investment protection and policy reform.

Addressing scientists, innovators, development partners and policymakers on Tuesday, June 16, 2025, Nakalema stressed that scientific research, while vital, cannot stand alone. “Uganda’s journey to middle-income status will not be determined by research alone but by our ability to convert research into commercially viable innovations. That starts with creating a safe, transparent, and efficient environment for investment.”

Her remarks came as the summit opened a platform for Uganda’s research and innovation sector to display its capabilities, from university breakthroughs to grassroots innovations. Yet, Nakalema cautioned, the country’s aspirations must be anchored in systems that support and protect those taking financial and intellectual risks.

Established under the directive of President Yoweri Museveni, SHIPU was created to eliminate bureaucratic and corrupt barriers that frustrate investors. Nakalema cited the Uganda Electronic Investors Protection Portal (EIPP), a flagship initiative under SHIPU, as a transformative tool for accountability and investor support. “Through the EIPP, we’ve seen foreign direct investment increase by over 30% in one year. That’s not just a coincidence—it’s the result of deliberate reforms."

But more than infrastructure and numbers, Nakalema highlighted the shift in business culture. “We are changing the way business is done in Uganda. We are saying no to delays, no to harassment, and yes to fair, fast, and transparent systems that allow innovation to thrive,” she declared.

The EIPP, she said, provides investors with the ability to lodge complaints, request services and track responses in real-time. It also links with the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to swiftly resolve disputes. 

“Stability is important, but it must be paired with modern tools like real-time accountability, dispute resolution, and digital systems that reduce uncertainty,” Nakalema said.

Tackling the common “valley of death”, the stage where promising research fails to transition to market, Nakalema emphasised that quality research can only succeed when backed by investor confidence. “Quality research attracts quality investment, but only when the investors know their capital and intellectual property are protected,” she said. Among international investors, she noted, regulatory clarity and IP protection remain key concerns.

To address these, SHIPU is fostering investor-researcher matchmaking and closely monitoring the implementation of milestone targets. Nakalema explained that research with long-term potential—even if not immediately lucrative—deserves support through shared-risk funding models and platforms for assessing scientific merit.

She encouraged researchers to design innovations with the market in mind from the outset. “We need to develop research that meets international standards and has a pathway to market,” she said. “It is time for universities, government, and the private sector to work hand-in-hand to reduce risks in the innovation journey.”

With Uganda enjoying increased recognition as an investment hub—having been named Africa’s best investment destination by the Annual Investment Meeting in the UAE in both 2023 and 2024, and ranked third most rewarding economy in Africa by Oxford Economics—Nakalema stated that these achievements were not accidental. “This is evidence that our reforms are working,” she asserted.

She proposed a raft of reforms to support science-led innovation: setting measurable standards for research quality, introducing tax incentives for private sector investment in academic research, accelerating intellectual property registration processes, and creating dedicated research-commercialisation centres in universities.

Nakalema also called for the establishment of specialised courts to handle IP and technology disputes, and the creation of public venture capital funds focused on early-stage scientific innovations. “Our policies must evolve to match the ambitions of our scientists and innovators. That means better laws, more responsive systems, and direct engagement with those doing the work,” she said.

To monitor progress, she proposed a set of performance indicators, including patents filed, public-private partnerships established, venture capital inflows, and international recognition of Ugandan research outputs. “We must track how far our ideas are going—from lab benches to business shelves,” she concluded.

A shift from promise to performance

In a bold declaration at the official opening of the National Science Summit, science, technology and innovation minister Dr Monica Musenero framed the event as a decisive turning point for Uganda. Held under the theme: From Promise to Performance, the summit marks what she describes as “a historic shift”—from viewing science as aspirational to deploying it as practical machinery for national development.

“The most strategic mineral is in our people’s minds, not just under the ground,” Musenero declared, setting a visionary tone for the week-long event. The summit, she explained, is not just a ceremonial gathering but a deliberate move to reposition science and technology as essential instruments of socioeconomic transformation.

She underlined that nations now thrive not simply because of abundant resources but because of their capacity to convert knowledge into value. “The countries that will lead in the coming decades are those with functional minds and systems that move ideas from conception to impact,” she stated.

Musenero observed that for far too long, Ugandan innovations have remained confined to exhibitions and pilot projects. “Too many innovations have ended on drawing boards or become annual exhibition pieces,” she lamented. The time has come, she argued, to build robust last-mile manufacturing capacity that ensures ideas reach production scale and benefit citizens directly.

The summit, showcasing innovations from universities, research institutions, private sector actors and student scientists, embodies this new drive. It is about more than invention—it is about creating a national culture of scientific relevance and accessibility. “This summit is about reclaiming science as something accessible, practical, and empowering—not a domain reserved for an elite few,” Musenero said.

Since 2021, the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Secretariat, housed in the Office of the President, has driven Uganda’s shift towards a knowledge economy. The secretariat, she noted, was built upon the work of longstanding institutions like the Uganda Virus Research Institute, NARO and Makerere University.

Through what she called a “dual-track approach,” the Government seeks to close historical technological gaps using indigenous knowledge while simultaneously engaging in high-end scientific advancement. “We are not just playing catch-up. We are building a resilient, inclusive and competitive economy grounded in our own context,” she said.

A central tenet of her speech was the value of cross-disciplinary cooperation.

“No industry or solution reaches maturity from a single discipline. Innovation systems are born in symphonies—not silos,” she said.

The minister cited current examples of collaborative breakthroughs, where agricultural scientists are partnering with data engineers and medical researchers are working with chemists.

She also called for a reorientation in academia, from rigid, traditional curricula to dynamic, problem-solving education that reflects Uganda’s development needs. “We must ask urgent questions about our economy and train our young people to answer them,” she said. “We should be innovating curricula every day to remain relevant.”

Musenero urged the private sector not to lag behind the innovation wave. “Those who fail to adapt will become obsolete in the new market,” she warned, adding that businesses must invest in and adopt local innovations. “Support our home-grown products. Build trade chains around them. You will not only survive but thrive in the evolving economy.”

she reasserted Uganda’s ambition for scientific independence and leadership. “We are no longer waiting to be transformed. We are doing the transforming. We are building scientific sovereignty, an innovation culture, and a civilisation powered by knowledge,” she said.

“Let it be known,” she concluded with conviction, “Uganda is not the lab of others. Uganda is the lab of Uganda. And through innovation, Uganda will become the best.”