The ICT Association of Uganda (ICTAU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Innovation Village, through its FutureLab Studio to foster a thought leadership collaboration that will strengthen and broaden the ICT ecosystem in Uganda. 

The move is part of the Innovation Village’s strategy to create a movement and viable ecosystem in the technology sector that will see the ecosystem work towards the fourth industrial revolution through conceptualizing the rapid changes to technology, industries and societal patterns and processes spurred by increasing interconnectivity and smart automation.

Elizabeth Ntege, the Board Chair of ICTAU said, the strategic partnership starts new dawn of collaborations, engagement, and networking sessions for players in the ICT sector.

“The collaboration is in line with our objectives to develop and promote a competitive ICT industry in Uganda and increase ICT access and adoption for all Ugandans which can only be achieved through the formation of like-minded partnerships,” she said.

Ntege added that together with the Innovation Village, they will be able to collaborate on strategies that provide platforms to encourage and support innovation in the technology sector as they work towards supporting the development, implementation and optimisation of technology systems.

“We will target technology leaders and experienced ICT practitioners from large corporations as well as startups – innovation-oriented firms who are focused on leveraging emerging digital technologies to remain relevant and competitive in the marketplace,” she further said.

The partnership will feature a series of initiatives and activities including the technology Leadership Series – enveloped in Outreach engagements with ICTAU membership and the broader ICT ecosystem in Uganda, roundtable discussions, webinars, fireside chats, boot camps, hackathons, publications, symposiums, showcase and field visits.

According to Japheth Kawanguzi, the Team Lead at the Innovation Village, the partnership with ICTAU aligns with their vision to leverage the use of technology in solving the most pressing challenges using technology.

“Today, we can no longer ignore the role of technology in our lives, but most importantly its growth and infiltration in many economies including ours. The advancement of the sector can only be achieved by staying up to date on trends in technology which can be facilitated through strategic partnerships,” he said adding that, as players within the technology ecosystem the ability to create a conducive environment that supports technological advancement can only be hastened through partnerships.

“We need to work together to recognize this talent pool and support it to grow. Collaboration and creating an environment where software developers, engineers and innovators can grow their talent and capabilities in confidence with the mentorship support of sector expertise to drive digitalization and socio-economic transformations of various sectors of the economy,” Kawanguzi added.

Arthur Mukembo, the FutureLab Studio Lead at The Innovation Village said, the collaboration will entail dissemination of the latest insights and best practices on technology leadership and management in today’s evolving ecosystem, engage ecosystem enablers in eliminating constraints to the accelerated exponential growth of the ICT sector in Uganda and support Innovators with the skills, advice, and opportunities to validate and scale their concepts.  

“We remain committed to narrowing the technology gap by engaging key stakeholders interested in transforming the ICT sector through strategic partnerships and collaboration. We strive to enhance the adoption of innovation across all spectrums of the economy, equip young people with digital skilling and optimize the use of our shared digital infrastructures to benefit innovators and entrepreneurs in our ecosystem,” he added.

Kawanguzi further said that the Digital Uganda Vision provides an overarching framework that responds to the national Vision 2040 by providing a unified ICT policy direction. 

It further provides the Government’s integrated policy and strategic framework to show how information and communication technologies (ICT) can empower Ugandan citizens and achieve the goals of universal inclusion, sustainable development, economic progress, and poverty eradication through digital innovation.