Addis Ababa University Office of Research and Technology Transfer and Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) jointly hosted a two days long Academic Innovation Management Workshop on October 3, 2019 at the Registrar main hall.

Dr. Mitike Molla, AAU, Vice president for research and technology transfer, in her welcoming address said AAU is one of the oldest universities of Ethiopia that has played a big role in the production of innovative minds for nearly seventy years.

Mitike exclaimed “We have to change the lives of our people through innovation. Many of the dwellers in the country side have no lights at all. Let’s strive for the best standards in making electricity power supply real for each resident in the outskirts.”

A Counsellor at Swedish Embassy, on his keynote speech said Sweden has been involved with AAU in enhancing innovative tasks for almost 40 years and the country is preparing to celebrate the 40^th years of anniversary by next year.

From the perspective of Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), a Counsellor stated Academic Innovation Management is needed to achieve certain goals and targets of affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, clean water and sanitation and etc.

“We need to be innovative, we need education, competence and change makers to turn these challenges into different opportunities” a counsellor noted.

 Jesper Vasell (PhD), Director of KTH Global Development Hub in Sweden, in his presentation on Academic Innovation Management defined innovation as a change that is perceived as an improvement for someone.

J.Vasell further said innovation is an iterative process which continuously builds our understanding of the vision and our opportunity and makes us adapt and re-plan our next step.

“An innovation process is also a learning process. The innovation process changes the vision and the opportunity as we learn more about the desired change and the opportunity” Vasell insisted.

The director urged “Our opportunity should be based on knowledge that enables us to work towards the vision, i.e., provide a solution that delivers the desired change.”

According to him, Academic Innovation Management helps to build individual innovation capacity, stimulate and support innovation processes and facilitate the development of an innovation eco system.

Theodros Shewangizaw October 9, 2019