Events

Event Format

National science week will showcase the value chain prioritization approach adopted by the STI secretariat, with exhibition spaces allocated per bureau. Within each bureau exhibitors will be structured according to their stage on the STI to market journey. This science week will present a platform to reinforce the STI Secretariat guiding principle, “Innovation is not complete until there is a product that a minimum number of clients are willing to pay for at a given price.”

Exhibition space size will vary per venture and the exhibition space flow is expected to guide NSW’23 guests in each bureau through the STI idea to market journey, culminating in the made in Uganda supermarket where they can purchase some of the products resulting from the innovations they have seen.

Idea and Prototype Stage

This section in each bureau will have early/idea stage ventures, highlighting their scientific process and showcasing their proposed product or service outcome. This may be in the form of a prototype, early product. The desired objective will be to acquire initial customers or potential off taker interest.

Viable Product to Competitiveness

This will host ventures with initial products and customers, these may still be in the test phase, with the need for funding partnerships, off takers or product scaling partnerships.

Competitiveness to Maturity

This is expected to be the most vibrant showcase of NSW’23 and will be made up of companies/ventures with products active on the market. This section will show that Ugandans can produce and commercialize products.

In some bureaus, corporate companies and government MDAs with new innovative products on the market will also be allowed to showcase in these spaces.

The Made in Uganda Supermarket

This showcase is intended to test demand value created through NSW’23, and the impact of idea to market journey the visitors have experienced. Operated as a commercial supermarket, this showcase will allow event visitors to purchase some of the products they have experienced and seen through the exhibition.

The Investor Lounge

Core to the success of the STI Secretariat is the ability to achieve a self-reliant innovation ecosystem for Ugandan innovation. This includes the ability for innovators to raise investment. This invite-only lounge will act as a deal room where innovators will have the chance to meet investors. Meetings will be set up for innovators through matchmaking and will happen in this space.

Support Services

This exhibition space will host different services innovators and scientists need to build successful ventures. This includes government agencies like URSB, UIA, UDB, corporate partners, and others.

The Plenary Space

Also known as the main event space, or main stage is a modern event space and will host all the speaking events at NSW’23

The NSW’23 exhibition will showcase what a functional innovation ecosystem can look like, with innovations at different stages of the idea to market journey, the supermarket, support institutions and access to investors.