Science and Engineering human resource remains scarce in Botswana. Various researches continue to point to this field and skilled personnel of the science and engineering as a critical instrument for any developing economy.

Any developing middle income state undergoes infrastructural development, research and innovation to put in place economic structures and institutions that will realize economic growth, Botswana is not an exception. In her quest to attain sustainable economic growth, Botswana has since attaining the status of a middle income economy which came about with aids, technical and financial assistance from opulent economies being ceased, encountered a challenge of low supply of qualified scientists and engineers from local academic and tertiary institutions.

As a result high value construction projects, mega infrastructural erections, complex electrical mechanism assembling and civil engineering undertakings have been enjoyed by foreign nationals, and this has had huge cost implications, overstretching the government purse.
Some projects have cost exorbitant figures for the national treasury as a result of failed delivery and budget overruns by these foreign nationals. In 2005 the government of Botswana through an Act of Parliament established the country‘s second university intended to house world-class research based science, engineering and technology academia – the Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BUIST).

The aim was to produce highly skilled scientists and engineers well capacitated from internationally accredited programmes. Although the University experienced a number of challenges from inception when setting up, BUIST held its first ever l graduation ceremony in February this year.

Speaking at a Science, Mathematics and Engineering Fair organized by BUIST this past week in Francistown, the man at the helm of the institution mandated to bake this professionals, Professor Otlogetswe Totolo revealed that Botswana still needs to do more as far as producing qualified engineers and certified scientists is concerned. The BUIST Vice Chancellor is of the view that the current number of accredited professional scientists and engineers is not enough to transform Botswana’s economy to a knowledge based one.

“We have to create critical mass of scientists and engineers to achieve this transformation, we need a lot more that 2000 to make sure that we transform to be the likes of Singapore and Indonesia,” said Totolo. When opening the Fair, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary Education Research, Infrastructure & Technology, Dr Theophilus Mooko told attendants’ that the new Vision 2036 pillars are anchored around innovation and research

“We have committed ourselves as a nation that the transformation and progress that we seek to achieve will be driven by  investment and innovation, research and development including indigenous knowledge across all pillars thus domesticating  and accelerating the pace of technical and scientific advancement,” he said .

Mooko was of the view that engineers and scientists also play a critical role in Foreign Direct Investment. “We need investors to setup business here, businesses that can create employment and grow the broader economy, but if the investors are to come here to setup complex and relatively large enterprises that can hire graduates and also pay lump sum of tax, they will need highly qualified experts and professionals readily available to provide labour,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary in the newly set up ministry also added that parents and the education system should encourage learners to branch into science and engineering courses to further government efforts of transforming Botswana’s economy. A representative from Business Botswana, Kebaabetswe Bogatsu, emphasised that one of the ways to lure learners into science and engineering studies was conducting such events as the engineering, maths and science fair.

Bogatsu noted that prospective learners can only be convinced by seeing practicals. “The only way our children can learn how to produce and manufacture goods was by encouraging them to be innovative and think outside the box,” he said. The Business Botswana official observed that the learners should be lured by the practical means of studying. “From a private business sector point of view we need as many engineers and scientists as possible to provide skilled labour to innovative business ideas and also to come up with cutting edge and solution seeking well thought enterprises that boost economic growth,” he said.

Francistown Mayor, Silviah Muzila added that young learners needed more capacitation to unleash their potential. Muzila noted that young people have great ideas that can transform Botswana‘s economy and put an end to youth unemployment. “We need more of this fairs and information dissemination platforms for our young learners. This help make them realize and appreciate that they have talent that they can use to invert new instruments and models that  can  be used to create employment for themselves  and also for the broader economy,” she said.

To address shortage of science and engineering expertise, the Government of Botswana has in addition to BUIST established a number of organizations and parastatals to advice the government on science and technology policy formation and also providing research to come up with innovative solutions to economic growth challenges.

Botswana Institute for Technology, Research and Innovation (BITRI) was established as a science and technology institute mandated to undertake research, identify and develop appropriate technologies in line with national priorities and needs of Botswana. Botswana Innovation Hub was also established and  incorporated as company to develop and operate Botswana’ s first Science and Technology Park aimed at creating  an environment that supports start-ups and existing local companies as well as attract international companies and institutions to develop and grow competitive technology driven and knowledge based businesses.

Complementing BUIST and BITRI and other efforts by the government, Botswana Innovation Hub offers a unique platform for scientific, technological and indigenous knowledge based innovation. Dr Mooko indicated that these institutions are very important to government efforts of turning Botswana into a knowledge based economy. He also noted that the parastatals needed to avail themselves to young learners and catch them while they were still young and vibrant to capture them into innovative and cutting edge solution seekers.

The technology park under The Botswana Innovation Hub, which is almost complete, is an ideal location to build and provide state-of-the-art building and facilities to attract domestic, regional and global companies to locate businesses as well as research and development activities, observed Dr Mooko.

Botswana Innovation Hub supports the growth of techno-rich business enterprises over the long term to increase the wealth of the local knowledge intensive community, promote a culture of innovation, and stimulate the competitiveness of member companies and knowledge based institutions.

When fully developed, the Science and Technology Park will consist of world class facilities including state-of the- art telecommunications infrastructure with high capacity international connectivity and secured power, professional business services, and business development services. The business services will allow companies to concentrate on their core business. The development programs, together with the support for R&D and the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship, will make Botswana Innovation Hub an ideal place for business development. Botswana Innovation Hub key focus sectors are Information Communication Technology, Biotechnology, Mining Technology and Clean Technology.