Innovating Ethiopia: Display, Demonstration and Incubation Centers, opened in the regions
Businesses, industries, institutions and regional administrations are amongst the most important stakeholders when it comes to regions’ development. For that reason, ecbp is supporting innovation within the regions through Display, Demonstration and Incubation Centers.
These centers, located in cities in Dire Dawa, Tigray, Oromia, Amhara, Addis Ababa and Southern Nations and Nationalities, host permanent exhibitions of the latest technologies and know-how from agriculture, food processing, construction, metal and woodwork sectors for the benefit of micro and small entrepreneurs, increasing their knowledge, competitiveness and viability.
In Dire Dawa, on April 20th, 2007, the Regional Micro and Small Enterprise Development Agency (ReMSEDA) opened the first Display, Demonstration and Incubation Center in the region. Ato Abddulaziz Mohammed, Mayor of Dire Dawa, inaugurated in the Center, which will showcase innovative products from the region.
In the Demonstration Center of Dire Dawa, Mr. Andreas Wusher (ecbp) introduced an adapted mold of Hollow Concrete Blocks (HCB). Thanks to their interlocking design - the first in Ethiopia - these Hollow Blocks will transform the construction sector, saving time and money. Currently cement is a vital building material and is in short supply. The new mold will improve access to quality and cost effective cement.
It is estimated that HCB will use 30% less mortar and the time needed for laying HCB will be reduced by around 20%, leading to a reduction in labor costs. These benefits will be particularly clear in major construction works, such as the nationwide Low Cost Housing Projects and the University Capacity Building Program (ucbp), which will use approximately 48,500,000 HCB.
Incubation Centers host new entrepreneurs and provide access and business assistance. For graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) who want to start their own Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), the Centers are a great help. Business Incubation Centers will give them the opportunity to use new technologies for free for a period of time and help them get the best start as entrepreneurs.
Mekele (Tigray region) was the second city to inaugurate its Technology Centers. On the 23rd of April, 2007, new and existing technologies were displayed in the priority sectors of food processing, textiles, leather, construction, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
By introducing and displaying appropriate technologies, Tigray expects to increase the productivity and competitiveness of MSMEs. The Technology Centers will substitute traditional technologies with improved, cost-efficient ones, and so benefit medium and large industries, craftsmen and women, associations and groups, TVET centers and research institutions.
This initiative is part of ecbp’s Private Sector Development to encourage entrepreneurs and promote employment. The Centers will be located throughout the country, bringing new technologies and possibilities to real working environments.