IRST to be restructured

The Chamber of Deputies is today scheduled to scrutinise a bill for the creation of a new research body to replace the Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (IRST). The propoed new body will be known as the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA),.IRST is being restructured to better respond to a policy plan for the transfer of modern technologies.The Minister of Education, Dr Vincent Biruta, Sunday said the new institute will facilitate a stronger link between research and industry. When contacted for a comment, Francois Kanimba, the Minister of Trade and Commerce, said: “NIRDA’s mission will be to carry out research on appropriate technologies for value addition to our raw materials. It will establish a strong foundation for agro-processing and facilitate rapid technology transfer from other countries”. The Cabinet paper states that for Rwanda to actively take part in an increasingly competitive global economy and open trading systems, it must build and acquire appropriate science, technology, innovation entrepreneurial, engineering, and technical or vocational capacity to produce more value added goods and services. The government acknowledges that the country has a challenge to develop a critical team of researchers, build and equip laboratories that focus on finding practical solutions to practical problems and have direct impact on industrial technological sophistication, value addition –especially in agro-processing – energy issues, high-tech manufacturing, technology transfer and commercialisation. “Rwanda needs an institution that carries out research in partnership with the private sector to ensure consistency with the needs and requirements in technological innovation and knowledge diffusion for them to create jobs and wealth in the economy,” reads part of the tabled document from the Cabinet. Transition from IRST to NIRDA will necessitate recruitment of new professionals and transfer of humanities and arts department researchers to other institutions – most likely, the National University of Rwanda (NUR). Presently, IRST mainly carries out basic research. The restructuring will pave way for the implementation of a research strategy proposed through the national industrial policy, officials say. The Cabinet paper recommends an additional budget of Rwf 272.9 million as a top-up to the actual IRST budget to enable the new agency recruit 40 new professionals to ensure its proper functioning this financial year. Repealing of the 2007 law determining the attributions, organisation and functioning of the IRST, and replacing it through a new law to establish NIRDA, will be the first step. According to the paper, the national industrial policy aims to increase domestic production for local consumption, improve Rwanda’s export competitiveness and create an enabling environment for industrialisation. Once in place, the responsibilities of the new agency shall include implementing the national industrial policy in research and development, its patenting and commercialisation and carrying out industrial research and technology development. It will also set up appropriate technology demonstration centres in industrial parks, and pilot plants in addition to rural industrialisation means.