Multi-million-dollar facility (HTTPS) launched

PHILLEPUS UUSIKUThrough a partnership by the University of Science and Technology (NUST) and MTC, the High Technology Transfer Plaza Select (HTTPS) building was launched last week.The multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art facility aims to foster an immersive engagement in physical and virtual space for open accelerated innovation.DR Erold Naomab, NUST vice-chancellor, in his speech at the launched mentioned that the facility is vital for local and regional impact, and moreover for global recognition. It is noteworthy that technology transfer usually happens at a smaller sporadic scale within isolated technology transfer or research and innovation offices in universities or the industry.However, what is distinctively different about the HTTPS is the size, the intensity and scale at which technology transfer will happen. Therefore, HTTPS is not an office nor a building but it is an ecosystem that brings various technology actors together irrespective of size or the type of sector, he pointed out.The projects to be undertaken within the HTTPS will be based on cutting-edge digital technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Cyber Security, X Reality, Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Autonomous Robotics, and Edge Computing. Leveraging on a 5G Network and high-performance computing, we are looking at intelligent networking of machines, processes, and people streamed with real-time data analytics to explore untapped potential while simultaneously producing a complete creative value chain, Noamab said.PartnershipsAlso speaking at the launch is Dr Licky Erastus, the Managing Director (MD) of MTC. He emphasised on the importance of private and public partnerships (PPP) in advancing national development.“We acknowledge that while every effort is put in place to respond to an array of social economic obligations, ranging from an unexpected Covid-19 pandemic that caught the world by surprise in 2020, to locust invasions and lingering spells of drought,” he said.It is against this knowledge that MTC has agreed to invest into continuous research and innovation in order to participate in developing fit for future technology solutions. Most notable, is this smart partnership with NUST, which has seen the start of a roadmap towards a new multidisciplinary technology culture and interactive curricula accelerating innovation and helping deliver solutions to pressing social challenges in Namibia, Erastus added.Furthermore, MTC invests heavily in the full cycle of education with investments in Early Childhood Development (ECD) as we believe that to effect sustainable change, we need to support pre-school endeavours, as well as our ongoing projects of building physical classrooms for rural schools and supporting a nation-wide internship programme in partnership with tertiary institutions. The internet of things, 5G, AI, automation and big data analytics are some of the technologies we see transforming the future of human interaction, disrupting global business networks, and presenting exciting opportunities and challenges. To date, MTC has entered into smart partnership agreements with academic, government and private institutions, as well as with non-profit and start-up incubators, with the aim of nurturing talent and capability in fields like social sciences, artificial intelligence, data science, internet of things and smart city solutions, he said.Skills Dr Nangolo Mbumba, Namibia’s vice president said developing new skills for Namibia’s next-generation workforce and a channel for future recruitment of top talents offer resilience and connectivity as part of this initiative.“The HTTPS facilitates co-creation and co-development that can unlock specialised expertise amongst our youth and investment opportunities in the digital economy through research and development. The latter are critical in pursuit of digital transformation and enhancement of international competitiveness,” he said.This IT infrastructure will provide pivotal technological support to the HTTPS initiative and will drive industry-oriented programmes and research by addressing the shortage of computing skills in Cyber Security, Big Data Analytics and E-Governance, Mbumba added.A new era of excellence has dawned upon NUST during which it is destined to realise technological benefits through strategic cooperation with investors, researchers, business leaders, corporate partners and the community. The HTTPS signifies the NUST robust and competitive advantage and provides a six-storey physical space within a vibrant technological and innovative ecosystem. This is expected to make Namibia a vibrant technology-driven economy through technological development, adaptation and innovation, he concluded.

Multi-million-dollar facility (HTTPS) launched

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