Ethiopia pushes biotech research commercialization
Minister Frehiwot Tamru calls for public-private partnerships to speed up market access for new technologies.
Ethiopia's Minister of Innovation and Technology, Frehiwot Tamru, urged greater public-private collaboration to commercialize research findings. Discussions at the Bio and Emerging Technology Institute (BETIn) also focused on establishing a national shared laboratory to support institutions nationwide.
The proposed laboratory aims to prevent resource duplication and enhance the use of existing capacities, thereby boosting the biotechnology sector's competitiveness, according to the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. BETIn has transferred technologies in crop development, livestock genetics, vaccines, and industrial processing over the past five years.
Achievements include improved maize and rice varieties, enset-processing technologies, Spirulina cultivation, Boran cattle genetic improvement, and poultry vaccines. These advancements have been transferred to youth enterprises, commercial producers, and investors, contributing to food security and industrial development.
Why it mattersEthiopian citizens will benefit from improved crop varieties, livestock genetics, and new processing technologies that enhance food security and create jobs.