The Foresight Institute of Research and Translation (FIRAT) Rwanda recently participated in the 13th Academia-Public-Private Partnership Forum (APPPF), held from March 12-14, 2025, at M Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda. Themed “Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship Through University-Industry Partnerships for East Africa’s Sustainable Future”. This prestigious event organized by the Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), brought together key stakeholders from academia, government, and the private sector to drive sustainable development through research and innovation.
FIRAT Rwanda’s participation heralds its commitment to research promotion and translation, capacity building, collaboration and networking. The organizers and the stakeholders deliberated on important issues around public-private partnership in education, technology development and transfer, entrepreneurship, and university-industry collaborations to produce industry ready workforce and entrepreneurs.
Key Highlights from the APPPF 2025 Forum
The forum commenced with an opening address by Hon. Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education, Rwanda, followed by a keynote speech by Dr. Eng. Anthony Githinji, CEO of Semiconductor Technologies Limited. The speech emphasized the importance of leveraging university-industry partnerships for sustainable development and global impact. On the same day, the research excellence framework for Higher Education in East Africa was launched.
The event featured several fruitful plenary sessions. Among these was the session on Leveraging University Research for Industry and Community Transformation. Experts, including Prof. Alex Ariho and Dr. James C. Lacefield, discussed how universities can align research priorities with industry needs. There were deliberations on strategies to enhance the commercialization of university research and create successful spin-off companies. With AI emerging as a transformative force, Prof. Eng. Jean Bosco Byiringiro and Dr. Jennifer Batamuliza delivered insights into how AI can drive industrial transformation in East Africa.
One of the major attractions at the forum was the exhibition session, where universities had the opportunity to showcase groundbreaking research, innovative projects, and integrated academic -industry experiences.
Another important deliberation at the forum highlights the role of universities in nurturing innovative leadership, and entrepreneurial talents and ecosystem. In addition, there were sessions on strategies for integrating entrepreneurship education into academic curricula, the role of incubation centres and accelerators in supporting startups in the academic environment, and the need for stronger collaboration between universities and the private sector to enhance research commercialization.
The 13th APPPF was a resounding success, serving as a catalyst for stronger university-industry partnerships. FIRAT Rwanda will continue to engage with other stakeholders to play its role in research translation and commercialization to foster a knowledge-driven economy. As we look to the future, continued investments in innovation, entrepreneurship, and academic-industry partnerships will be key to East Africa’s sustainable development.
