By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
The second day of the
Innovation Agencies in Africa Network (IAA Network) Peer-to-Peer Learning
Exchange in Addis Ababa has highlighted Ethiopia’s growing efforts to build an
integrated startup and innovation ecosystem through government-supported technology
hubs and private-sector incubation facilities.
The programme opened at the
Ethiopian ICT Park, a government-supported technology hub positioned as a key
pillar of Ethiopia’s digital transformation. The Park brings together startups,
investors, academia and government within an institutional framework aimed at
creating jobs, attracting investment and scaling the country’s digital
capabilities.
A central part of the visit
was Innobiz-K Ethiopia, an incubation centre established through a partnership
between the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT) and the Korea
International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and inaugurated on March 22, 2024.
Unlike the Information
Access Center visited on the first day, which focuses on digital skills and
technology access, Innobiz-K is designed to help innovators develop ideas into
viable and commercialisable businesses.
The centre provides free
access to selected startups and innovators. Participants accepted into the
programme receive dedicated workspace for 12 months, alongside access to modern
training rooms, workshops, prototyping infrastructure, including 3D printing
facilities, and institutional networks covering government, industry and
international partners.
Startups are selected
through a formal call process, with MInT identifying technology-focused
products, services and research-based solutions for each cohort.
Delegations from the
National Commission for Research Science and Technology (NCRST) and the
Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) met with startups based at the
centre and observed ongoing work across the facility. Discussions also examined
the standardisation frameworks applied by MInT at different stages of the
startup ecosystem and formal agreements entered into with startups as they
progress.
The exchange also included a
visit to NUNA Ethiopia, a private co-working and incubation hub that provides a
market-based complement to government-supported innovation facilities.
NUNA offers co-working
spaces, private offices, meeting rooms, training facilities and an incubation
centre, together with mentorship, networking and professional development
opportunities within an entrepreneurial community.
Unlike Innobiz-K, NUNA
operates on a commercial model, with startups and businesses accessing its
infrastructure and services as subscribing members.
