Eastern Africa will be the focus of a transformational forum to harness the power of biosciences innovations later this month, when more than 120 scientists, policy makers, the private sector, donors, and other stakeholders gather at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the 1st Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific Conference at the United Nations Conference Centre, from 25-27 February 2013.
The conference aims to share the successes and challenges of implementing Bio-Innovate’s activities in the eastern Africa region. Those activities focus on applying bio-resources innovations to support sustainable growth and transformation of the agricultural and environmental sub-sectors, from primary production to value addition. Participants will also discuss strengthening regional policies to support biosciences innovations.
Among the dignitaries who will participate in the conference are: His Excellency Dessie Dalkie, Minister of Science & Technology in Ethiopia; His Excellency Wondirad Mandefro, State Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in Ethiopia, Gity Brehravan the First Secretary, Regional Research Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi; Shaukat Abdulrazak, Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Science and Technology of Kenya; Carlos Lopes, Secretary General, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA); and Aggrey Ambali, Director, Policy Alignment and Program Development, AU/NEPAD Agency among others.
Bio-Innovate is providing a novel regional, broad-based biosciences innovations platform that links science and technology to the market to address priority regional development challenges. The Program is mobilizing available science and research findings in the region that are then channelled to increase crop productivity and adaptation to climate change; management of agro-industrial wastes for environmental sustainability and promotion of traditional crops through value addition.
Conference attendees will listen to the most resent research findings, explore solutions to strengthen bioscience networks in the region, identify and frame strategies to challenges affecting the use of biosciences, and further develop strategies for accelerating the use and integration of bio-resources through biosciences innovations which fuel the socio-economic development of the region.
The Bio-Innovate Program is currently supporting nine bioscience innovation and policy consortia projects bringing together 57 partnering institutions from the six eastern Africa countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda and outside the region. Most of the findings from these projects will be presented at the upcoming conference. Conference information is at: http://bioinnovate-africa.org
Journalists interested in learning more about Bio-Innovate projects may contact:
Dr Seyoum Leta, Program Manager, Bio-Innovate Program
Email: S.Leta@cgiar.or
Albert Mwangi, Communications Officer, Bio-Innovate Program
Email: A.Mwangi@cgiar.org
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