Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) and Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) Forge Partnership to Drive Research Commercialization

On 24th September 2025, the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) held a strategic engagement meeting with the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) at the UIA Boardroom in Kampala. The meeting marked a critical milestone in strengthening collaboration between academia and industry to accelerate the commercialization of research and innovations emerging from Makerere University.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Peter Muramira, the Ag. Director of Investment Promotions and Business Development, and attended by Mr. Richard Nuwenyesiga, Director Domestic Investment, alongside the Mak-RIF team led by Mrs. Phoebe Lutaaya Kamya, Deputy Coordinator, with Ms. Grace Cherotich Ruto (Engagement Officer), Ms. Juliet Nabirye (Monitoring and Evaluation Officer), and Ms. Winnie Kyamulabi (Communications Officer).

Building Synergies for Uganda’s Competitiveness

In his opening remarks, Mr. Muramira commended Mak-RIF for its proactive outreach and commitment to linking research outputs to national development priorities. He emphasized that UIA, as Uganda’s One Stop Centre for investment facilitation, plays a pivotal role in attracting, promoting, and retaining investors.

He noted that effective collaboration across government and institutional boundaries is essential to achieving a competitive and resilient economy. His message revolved around four strategic actions— “Teaming Up, Cleaning Up, Greening Up, and Linking Up & Skilling Up”—which he described as the backbone of a sustainable development strategy. These principles, he said, reflect UIA’s commitment to accountability, environmental responsibility, innovation, and workforce development as Uganda moves toward Vision 2040.

Mak-RIF’s Vision: From Research to Enterprise

Representing the Mak-RIF Secretariat, Mrs. Phoebe Lutaaya Kamya expressed appreciation for the opportunity to engage with UIA, emphasizing that after seven years of funding research and innovation, the Fund has entered a new phase—ensuring a return on investment through commercialization and sustainability.

She reaffirmed that Mak-RIF seeks strategic partners who can transform innovative research outputs into market-ready products and enterprises that generate jobs, foster industrial growth, and drive socio-economic transformation.

“UIA is a natural partner in this journey,” she noted, “as it holds the mandate to connect investors with viable ventures and to promote innovation-led investment.”

Showcasing the Mak-RIF Impact

During the presentation led by Ms. Juliet Nabirye, the Mak-RIF team shared impressive milestones achieved under the Fund.

Over the last six years, Mak-RIF has funded 1,457 research and innovation projects, of which 783 have been completed, and 157 prototypes developed. At least 15 projects have successfully advanced to commercialization, demonstrating tangible potential for impact across priority sectors such as agriculture, health, energy, education, social development, business, engineering, and tourism.

Ms. Nabirye outlined Mak-RIF’s new Research Agenda (2025–2030), streamlined into nine thematic areas aligned with Uganda’s national development priorities. She emphasized that the next phase aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry through deliberate engagement with investment authorities, such as UIA, to create functional pathways for scaling innovations.

Forging the Path Ahead

In his closing remarks, Mr. Muramira reiterated that UIA is ready to work closely with Makerere University to fast-track innovation commercialization. He proposed developing a flagship collaborative project that integrates the entire value chain—from product development and market testing to investment attraction and consumer adoption.

He emphasized the importance of:

• Defining clear outcomes and funding objectives,
• Establishing quarterly accountability mechanisms,
• Developing structured innovation profiles for market positioning, and
• Clustering products to create robust sectoral value chains.

He also encouraged Mak-RIF to explore partnerships with organizations such as GIZ and the Netherlands, which are strong advocates for youth empowerment, green growth, and innovation-led investment.

Mr. Muramira further proposed the creation of a matrix of issues to guide the structured development of an innovation pipeline, enabling projects to graduate into viable, investor-ready ventures backed by credible data and market insights. He stressed that the partnership must be grounded in data authenticity, service consistency, efficiency, and co-funding mechanisms, ensuring measurable returns and sustained investor confidence