The National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) has incubated and awarded eight business projects of young innovators that are adding value to cow products and cow by-products under the initiative dubbed “Innovate for Cow Biohackathon.” At least 162 groups comprising 486 individuals applied for support under the initiative. Of these, 33 groups comprising 98 young innovators were selected for stage three of which eight groups with 23 innovators won. The eight groups were incubated for eight months in the NIRDA STEM Lab Box and Huye Life science laboratory with a focus on product development, business development, marketing, intellectual property rights and management skills. They were rewarded with different cash prizes on Friday December 9, 2022 during Research and Development (R&D) and Innovations Demo Day that took place at NIRDA Research centre in Huye district. The awards are in four categories namely inspirational award, green award, innovation award and creativity award. Green Home Ltd, which made a machine that makes briquettes, was awarded with Rwf10 million in the creativity award category. Kamonyo and Rachel Team-that makes sausages from cow blood-were awarded with Rwf7 million in Innovation awards category UTAB students research group that makes biofertilizers from cow dung and cow urine with addition of lime secured Rwf5 million award in Green Awards category. AgroTAG Ltd with cow safe technology-an electronic cattle ear tag to monitor daily health of the cow for early diseases detection, Eco-build Ltd with liquid bio-fertilizer from cow dung and cow urine, Greenland Ltd with liquid bio-fertilizer from cow dung and cow urine, Pro Cow Group Ltd with dog food from cow by-products as well as Ecovaccine Ltd were awarded with Rwf1 million each. Young innovators commend support David Tuyishime, the CEO and Co-founder of Green Home Ltd which made a machine that makes briquettes from cow dung and other soft waste said that the award will help the company to start commercialization of their products. “We are currently based in Karongi district. Our business will help to reduce pressure on forests as briquettes from cow dung and other waste will replace charcoal and firewood. NIRDA incubated and helped us to turn our dreams into reality, our idea into prototype,” he said. He said the machine can produce 100 Kilogrammes of briquettes per hour. “We can produce 800 Kilogrammes of briquettes per day which can replace two trucks of firewood,” he said. Rachel Niyokwizerwa whose company produces sausages from cow blood, said they will work with abattoirs to be able to get raw materials (blood) to produce sausages. “The cow blood in slaughtering houses is just wasted. That is why we came up with the idea to turn it into healthy food that contains high proteins. Such sausages contain iron and therefore are recommended to women and children to fight against stunting and malnutrition. We thank NIRDA for having incubated us and motivated us with the cash prize,” she said. Robert Nshimiyimana, a member of UTAB students’ research group that makes biofertilizers from cow dung and cow urine with addition of lime lauded NIRDA for incubation that will take the project to a further level. “We are preparing to start mass production as we get more funds. The Rwf5 million award we got from NIRDA is a boost to our project,” he said. Christian Sekomo Birame, the Director General of NIRDA the eight groups of young innovators will be supported to set up processing factories and start commercialization of their products. “The young innovators’ projects have to be supported to be able to reach the highest level because their projects are the future industries we should expect in Rwanda,” he said. “We hope that the young innovators can get additional finance from different programmes such as the one with Business Development Fund (BDF),” he said. The young innovators are being assisted in the registration process for intellectual property rights. He said the innovators will be linked up with potential stakeholders for further financial and technical assistance. NIRDA will also regularly monitor and conduct evaluation to measure projects performance and link them with licensing entities to help them commercialize their marketable products and technologies. He said that NIRDA is also mobilizing about Rwf2 billion to support more projects in the cow value chain. More innovations showcased On Friday, during research and development and innovations Demo Day, NIRDA also exhibited different products including those which have been transferred to the private firms and those which await the transfer. These include bioethanol and hand sanitizer production from sugar cane Molasses, starter culture for fermentation of banana alcoholic beverages, Mosquito repellent products from essential oil plants, vermin compost and fertilizers, e-visitors registration device as well as 10 more phytomedicine products. Olivier Kamana, the Head of Applied Research and Development and Foresight Incubation Department at NIRDA said NIRDA got over Rwf500 million grants in the last four years to support research and development of products. “We are going to start a project to commercialize some products. We have another project to produce phyto-supplements and another one to improve quality in SME-owned factories,” he said. He announced that NIRDA will also develop and produce Starter culture for milk. Richard Niwenshuti, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry said that supporting young innovators is a way of boosting industrial development of Rwanda. “The applied research by the young innovators will accelerate industrial development. More young innovators should also come up with projects promoting circular economy by recycling waste like those awarded in the cow value chain,” he said. “We have to take another step to commercialize the young innovators’ projects. There is a government full commitment. Private sector and higher learning institutions should work together to develop youth innovators’ ideas with solutions to problems in the community and provide what is needed on the market,” he said, adding that they can also work with investors to expand their businesses.
