NBA chief calls for industry-university collaboration
National Biotechnology Authority (NBA) chief executive officer and registrar, Dr. Deckster Savadye, says his organisation is committed to collaborating with tertiary institutions and the private sector to promote skills and industrial development.
Dr. Savadye, who holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Parasitology and Biochemistry, a Master of Biotechnology, and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Zimbabwe, is scheduled to present a paper on the commercialisation of indigenous knowledge at the Industry-University Innovate Together Summit in Harare on Tuesday next week.
An experienced molecular biologist with over 20 years of postdoctoral experience, Dr. Savadye, who was appointed to lead the NBA in 2019, is a Graduate Fellow at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) based in Nairobi, Kenya.
It is anticipated that his presentation at the upcoming summit will be invaluable to the country, given his experience working at the University of Zimbabwe as an academic and at the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) as a research leader.
In an interview yesterday, Dr. Savadye stated that the Industry-University Innovate Together Summit provides a platform for fostering linkages between industry and tertiary institutions.
“At the NBA, we encourage collaboration in most of the projects we undertake. We actively collaborate with universities and other industries.
“For example, at our Marula factory in Rutenga, we collaborated with Masvingo Polytechnic College.
“We also collaborated with the private sector in providing various services,” he said.
The Marula factory in Rutenga produces products including wine, oil, and by-products such as briquettes for biofuel and bio-fertiliser.-ebsinessweekl
