UTAMURIC (UTAMU Research and Innovation City) was incorporated in 2020 to address challenges in research and innovation ecosystems within the African context. UTAMURIC is an umbrella Research and Innovation non-profit organisation that promotes research, innovation, business incubation and startups in Africa. Its head office is at Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU). UTAMU campus in Kkungu, Matugga, Kyaddondo, Wakiso District, which is 21 km from Kampala City Centre provided 20.43 acres of land for research, innovation, business development, business incubation and business startup activities in the region. UTAMURIC shall be the largest private research and innovation ecosystem player in Sub-Saharan Africa as per its rolling strategic plan for 2020-2030.
Our goal is to build strong partnerships based on trust, reliability and efficiency with customer focused mindset and finding innovative ways to provide great value to fulfill your needs.
We have a clear vision of what we want to be – "providing a globally competitive research, innovation and startup ecosystem".
Our mission is to nurture the next generation of researchers, innovators and high-tech companies that are globally competitive.
Our objectives are in line with our vision and mission and include:
- To build and maintain a network/database of business incubators, business start-ups, mentors, researchers, innovators, software developers and other certified professionals;
- To plan, design and implement capacity building programmes for researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and incubators;
- To incubate and accelerate high potential strategic business start-ups;
- To link business startups with venture capitalists and other financial institutions;
- To create networks, partnerships and collaborations with world renown entrepreneurship ecosystems;
- To establish research and innovation collaborations and partnerships with universities, research institutions and innovation agencies;
- To establish research, innovation and business startup linkages and programmes with governments especially in Africa;
- To establish industrial linkages in research and innovation with national, regional and multinational companies;
- To mobilise grants to support researchers, innovators and business start-ups;
- To promote innovation and entrepreneurship clubs in schools;
- To develop solutions for identified society challenges;
- To support and provide mentorship to entrepreneurs, especially youth so as to enable them translate ideas into businesses;
- To mobilise leading businesses, organisations, financial as well as academic institutions to provide start-up capital, training and mentorship to youth entrepreneurs and innovators;
- To source for work for certified software developers and other certified professionals;
- To undertake research and innovation relevant to industrial development;
- To research on, and promote business ideas that provide solutions to challenges in local communities, for sustainable social and economic development;
- To undertake market research on different businesses with a view of enabling them to meet standards and regulatory requirements for different markets in and outside Africa;
- To harness the power of Information and communication technology (ICT) and promote its use in online businesses as well as the use of ICT in market and information access;
- To conduct baseline studies, needs assessment studies and case studies;
- To develop policies, strategic plans, and strategies;
- To act as a think tank in providing policy reviews and alternative policy proposals to guide government’s development strategy;
- To advocate for law reform aimed at fair competition, ease of doing business as well as business friendly tax laws;
- To create opportunities for entrepreneurs to engage in national and global sustainable development initiatives by sharing activities with other organisations with related objectives;
- To undertake comprehensive and collaborative programmes of social research, baselines and evaluation, integration of data and information dissemination, professional presentations, and partnerships at national and international levels;
- To start an innovation hub, with special emphasis on focusing on value addition, standards and regulatory compliance for wider market access;
- To provide consultancy and advisory services.
Our progressive thinking and creative approach is what makes us stand out from the crowd. We are proud of what we have achieved. We adhere to the highest standards in conducting business, quality management and constant search for improvement of performance.
