Shaukat Abdul Razak and Björn Häggmark cut a cake to celebrate the launch the Bio-Innovate Program on 16 March 2011; looking on is ILRI director general Carlos Seré (right) and other invited guests (photo credit: ILRI/Mungai).

The Africa Science News Service reports on a recently launched Bio-Innovate Program at the InternationalLivestock Research Institute (ILRI).

‘. . . Speaking at the launch of the programme, Prof Shaukat Abdul Razak, CEO and secretary of the National Council for Science and Technology said, the Bioinnovate will help build capacity not only in terms of human resources but also infrastructure.

‘“It is an opportunity for Kenya and the region and develop a first class facility for research”, said Prof Shaukat.

‘He said with the launch, now the high number of people and institutions that desire to do research in biosciences but have lacked infrastructure will now have access to first class laboratories provided for by the Bionnovate program which is to be housed at the Bioscience for East And Central Africa, BeCA hub based at the International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. . . .’

In an interview with Africa Science News Service, Prof Shaukat Razak also said:

‘Kenya is one of the countries with a huge biodiversity….and because agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy. The center is going to influence how knowledge in crops, animal science is generated and information is going to flow to policy makers and guide in policy formulation in the country.

‘The government of Kenya is very excited for the programme to be set up in the country. The government’s role is to create the enabling environment to allow more people including investors to come into the country to create opportunities for research, employment not just for Kenyans but for the region.

‘In terms of funding, the government is already funding research through NCST and we are looking forward to matching grants through partnerships. There are programmes on behalf of the government that the council is able to partner with the institutions and programmes like the bionnovate.

‘The programme will create a triple helix that will bring the government, researchers and farmers will work together so as to transform the country.’

Read the whole article at Africa Science News Service: Project to transform research in Kenya, 25 March 2011.