On 4 February 2025, a team of five representatives from FCDO and RISA, led by Dr. Emmeline Skinner, Innovation & Evidence Adviser at the East Africa Research and Innovation Hub, visited the ACEIoT’s IoT and AI Applied Research Result Commercialization Through Incubation Hub project to assess the impact of this two-year project funded by the RISA Fund. After gaining insights into the project’s key achievements, they expressed their admiration for the results achieved so far.

Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) is a multi-country project funded by the UK through the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) to support the strengthening of research and innovation systems in Africa.

The IoT and AI Applied Research Result Commercialization Through Incubation Hub, which began in 2023, aims to establish an Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based applied research incubation hub. This incubation hub is expected to facilitate the transfer of applied research prototypes and knowledge from the IoT lab to the market, driving commercialization through academia-industry collaboration.

In his presentation, Prof. Damien Hanyurwimfura, the project lead, highlighted some of the key achievements, which include offering trainings on entrepreneurship, commercialization, mentorship services, and providing seed funding to support the innovation projects with potential for commercialization. He mentioned that a total of more than 200 innovators have benefited from these training programs, and 14 of the best projects have received funds for further development towards commercialization.

The AI and IoT incubation hub project has opened windows for job opportunities and startup creation, where 5 startups have been created and 6 incubates have secured the job.
The incubation hub has strengthened collaborations with key ICT organizations (FabLab, Narada, and the ICT Chamber) and national public institutions (NCST, RDB) and international partners (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology) and other stakeholders.
The AI and IoT incubation hub is equipped with IoT equipment, components, and tools that provide hands-on skills and knowledge in developing AI and IoT projects.
There are other 4 projects from UR faculty under the commercialization process with the support of another project entitled ”Strengthening National Innovation Ecosystem through Development of Research and Innovation Commercialization Strategy and Facilitation of Scaling of Selected Projects," which has been implemented in collaboration with the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) under FCDO funding.

This UR-NCST project has developed the national technology transfer and commercialization strategy, which will provide guidance on the technology transfer and commercialization of the research outputs and innovations to ensure improved research performance and industrial growth, boosting the country’s economy. The strategy has been developed in collaboration with other stakeholders from various institutions that contribute to the National Innovation System.
It is expected that this commercialization strategy will speed up the commercialization process of those 18 innovation projects supported by the RISA fund.
Gasana Bisetsa Jururyishya, one of the incubates of the Hub whose project is in process of commercialization, showcased his innovation, "Farm Vision," which addresses challenges in the agricultural sector by creating a system that enables farmers to forecast and monitor the health status of their crops. He benefited from the seed funding and said, “With the funding, mentorship, and coaching from the Hub, we are making significant progress with our innovation.”
Cecil N. Kangara, the Country Technical Lead for Kenya/Rwanda at RISA Fund, commended the work being done, particularly the involvement of the private sector. “This kind of partnership is highly commendable. Expanding this kind of partnership across the region and Africa at large is crucial,” he said.

Dr. Emmeline Skinner, Innovation & Evidence Adviser at the East Africa Research and Innovation Hub, noted that there is much to learn from the Hub in Rwanda. The challenges the Hub faced and how they were addressed can serve as a model for other countries. “We will leverage the great work you are doing here and share it with the rest of the world to benefit all of us in the future,” she added.

Dr. Esperance Munganyinka, Head of the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) Department at the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) and Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) responsible for the commercialization of funded projects, expressed her gratitude to RISA and FCDO for providing the funding to develop the National Technology Transfer and Commercialization Strategy. She emphasized that the strategy will strengthen Rwanda’s national research and innovation systems, contributing to the country’s economic transformation.

Through a highly competitive process, the University of Rwanda (UR), through the African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT), won a grant for the project entitled “IoT and AI Applied Research Results Commercialization Through Incubation Hub.” The project is funded by Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA), a program of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), aimed at strengthening research and innovation ecosystems in Africa.