How the National ICT Innovations Hub Is Rewriting Uganda’s Start-Up Playbook
World Business Journal talks to Flavia Opio, Team Lead of Innovations at the National ICT Innovations Hub, about the hub’s role in facilitating access to critical infrastructure for the start-up ecosystem, digital skills programmes, and the successful outcomes of the UJ-Connect Program.
What role does the National ICT Innovations Hub play in shaping the start-up ecosystem?
Our role is to improve access to infrastructure, a key component of the digital roadmap. Despite a strong entrepreneurial spirit, many start-ups struggle to survive beyond their first year due to a lack of access to infrastructure. To address this, the hub provides free co-working space, internet access, computers, and business advisory services. To date, we have supported 75 start-ups, resulting in the creation of nearly 600 jobs, with many achieving commercialisation.
We focus on digital skills training for entrepreneurs and school children, offering practical lessons and expos where successful founders teach skills like robotics and animation. Our mobile “DigiTrack”, equipped with 21 laptops, has trained over 5,000 individuals across 29 districts, primarily supporting blue-collar professionals in the informal sector.
The hub is also equipped with an IoT lab that has 3D printers for product design and AR/VR projects. To promote inclusivity, we are setting up regional hubs at Kabale, Soroti, and Muni Universities, and we are onboarding Gulu and Busitema Universities for further outreach. Our collaboration with Makerere University and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ensures continuity, with a focus on training local trainers to continue these initiatives.
What results have emerged from the UJ-Connect programme?
We successfully matched 6 Ugandan ICT companies with 5 Japanese ICT companies, leading to project completions and requests for more partnerships. Under the entrepreneurship mentorship programme, 2 cohorts in mentorship have been concluded. The first cohort had 12 successful startups participate. Out of which four were awarded grants of up to $10,000 for their Proof of Concept pilot projects, and two were supported to attend the GITEX Dubai 2024 edition.
The programme includes a job-matching platform at https://bizlink.ict.go.ug/, where job seekers can register their skills and employers can post vacancies. Early registration is now open.
We are also engaging with the Philippines and plan to connect with Vietnam to promote BPO opportunities for our talented youth, while Team Europe’s initiatives with Estonia, Belgium, Germany, and Romania focus on digital skills and innovation.
What support do you offer for scaling mature start-ups?
We require a six-month business plan and conduct monthly pulse checks to track progress and challenges.
Start-ups incubate for about 9 months before transitioning to ICT SME status, where they receive subsidised workspace. About 52 start-ups have benefitted from this support, which improves credibility and helps attract clients from both the public and private sectors.
