The Inter Region Economic Network (IREN) has launched the IREN Technologies and Innovations Platform 2019 (ITIC 2019) to promote the best mix of technology and innovation to processes along the agribusiness value chains. Innovators are expected to address the region’s challenges in value addition, energy, storage, logistics and marketing. The Lake region is known for fish, grain, vegetable, cash crop, dairy and livestock production.
The platform encourages participants to offer solutions that combine mechanization and Information and Communications Technologies(ICT) to challenges facing the region. Individuals aged 18 years and above with at least Secondary School education and residing in the Lake region economic bloc counties as well as representatives from institutions and organizations based in the region are eligible to compete. IREN welcomes Institutions and established companies to participate in the final ITIP 2019 Trade Fair to be held later in November 2019.
Participants will be taken through the processes of refining their ideas, developing blueprints, coming up with prototypes and ultimately pitching to potential partners and financiers on a competitive basis.
“IREN welcomes interested parties to join in offering an opportunity to participating innovators in the Lake region to showcase their scalable solutions to potential partners and investors in order to grow the region’s economy,” said James Shikwati, IREN Kenya, Founder and Director.
“We are proud to be associated with ITIP 2019 and its promise to connect scalable smart solutions to agribusiness value chains in the Lake Region Economic Bloc(LREB) in Kenya,” said Veni Swai, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Senior Programme Officer, East Africa,
Since 2014, IREN has managed agribusiness challenges in Sub Saharan Africa(Agribiz4Africa), the Young Innovators in Agribusiness (East Africa and Ethiopia), the East Africa Postharvest Technologies and the IREN Technologies and Innovations Challenge 2018.
About the partners
Inter Region Economic Network, Ltd. (IREN) has for the last 15 years created screening and training platforms for Start-ups and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises across the East African region. IREN ‘s three focus areas include Think Tank for public policy analysis in Africa; Enterprise Development and consultancy.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom is the foundation for liberal politics in the Federal Republic of Germany. It aims to promote the goal of making the principle of freedom valid for the dignity of all people and in all areas of society. In East Africa, the foundation supports development of think tanks that network liberal thinkers, come up with shared concepts for development and progress by working with liberal partner organizations in the political realm as well as civil society. The Foundation is also working on a project to promote secure property rights with the aim of improving food security in the country.
For more information contact:
Ivy Vuguza
IREN Communications and Digital Content Manager
Tel: +254 20-2731497 | Email: ivy@irenkenya.com
