Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) and SHoP Architects, on April 16th, 2010, signed an agreement appointing the latter as the official architects for the Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH).  Botswana Development Corporation has been contracted by Botswana Innovation Hub to manage and coordinate design and construction of infrastructure, which includes master planning/urban design, infrastructure design and construction of the icon building and annexes.

SHoP Architects PC from New York, USA won the international architectural design competition of the Botswana Innovation Hub buildings late last year. SHoP´s proposal had the best combination of innovativeness, environmental sustainability, functionality and cost-effectiveness. SHoP won this competition against 17 other companies from Europe, USA and Africa that had submitted their proposals for the design of the BIH.

SHoP has been renowned as a leader in the transformation of intricate theoretical design into easily understood construction models by rethinking and challenging standard architectural practice.  Their current work includes the Barclays Center Arena at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, a two-mile esplanade and park for The City of New York along the East River Waterfront, projects for the Fashion Institute of Technology and Goldman Sachs, both in Manhattan, and a new building for Google in Mountain View, CA. SHoP Architects’ work has won numerous awards and they have been consistently cited as producing some of the best work of a new generation of architects.

“We are neither ivory-tower elitists nor superficial stylists. We believe in both ideas and profitability. Our expertise and ambition extends beyond the design of buildings. We look at an entire project and consider the site, the cultural, and economic environment, the client’s physical needs and financial models, as well as construction techniques, branding, marketing and post-occupancy issues,” says a statement from SHoP’s Founding Partners.

For more information, please contact the Botswana Innovation Hub at bih@gov.bw
 

This edition of InnoGram newsletter focuses on updates in:
• Registration of BIH Companies
• Architectural Design Competition Results
• Parliament Approval of 15% Corporate Tax incentive for BIH Companies
• Events hosted by BIH in the last few months
• The EEP/Southern & East Africa Clean Tech Programme
 

The EEP Programme has started officially and the 1st Call for Proposals is now open until 14th April 2010.  The next call for Applications is likely to be in October.

All the necessary information INCLUDING THE APPLICATION FORM can be downloaded from the links below.

These documents can also be found on the DBSA website: (http://www.dbsa.org/eep/Pages/default.aspx)

List of Country Representatives

Project Application Form

Checklist

Guidelines for Proposing Projects

EEP Southern & East Africa Programme Document

Please note the following before sending the application:

1. This 1st call is open till 14th April 12h00 (South African time), the next call will probably take place in October 2010.
2. The applications/proposals shall be sent to philim@dbsa.org AND to your respective country representative (the list of country representatives can be downloaded from link above).
3. Implementation of the projects shall take place in the mentioned (8) partner-countries/region, but applications can be accepted worldwide.
4. At this point of time, the EEP is calling for project profiles, not full scale project proposals. All the information needed to make decisions on the profiles is required on the attached application form.
5. Programme Logframe is part of the Programme Document downloadable above.
6. Decisions will be made in mid-May in the EEP Steering Committee meeting; this means that if the profile is approved, the applicant will be asked to provide a more detailed, full project proposal. Also applicants whose profiles have not been accepted will be notified.

The Energy and Environment Partnership with Southern and East Africa, funded by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, will offer co-funding for feasibility studies aimed at concrete investments as well as pilot and demonstration projects.
The project office is currently being established and it is expected to be ready to evaluate proposals from the beginning of May. For more details (the brochure) about the programme, check our website (www.bih.co.bw) or contact Mr Boiki Mabowe at bmabowe@gov.bw.

For more information >>> Download programme brochure

"The mandate of the Innovation Hub is to attract both local and foreign businesses and organisations that are technology-driven," said Mr. Johnny Swartz, Minister of Infrastructure

...The minister said they are looking for individuals or companies with business ideas ad research results that could b developed into goods and services with potential for commercialisation and export.

He also highlighted that the hub promoted technology development and support skills development through appropriate incentives scheme.

For the full story >>>Botswana Daily News

You can also Download Full response from Minister

ACP-EU commit to sustainable energy to fight climate change

The European Union and the ACP States have agreed to establish a new Energy Facility under the 10th European Development Fund for the period 2009-2013. This Facility will contribute to the objectives established by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in terms of poverty alleviation and environment.

Endowed with €200 Million, the Energy Facility focuses on improving access to sustainable energy services in rural and peri-urban areas while fighting against climate change. Therefore, the new Energy Facility will emphasise the use of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures.

The implementation modalities of the Facility funds are:
• €150 M for projects selected through two Calls for Proposals, with a First Call of €100 M launched on 30th of November 2009 and the second one foreseen in 2011;
• €3.5 M to support to energy governance in the ACP countries;
• €40 M for a Pooling mechanism which will co-finance medium-size access projects together

For more information >>> Download the Guidelines for this First Call for Proposals

Parliament endorses Innovation Hub

Parliament has endorsed establishment of the Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH).

Before the adoption of the resolution, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Kenneth Matambo, told Parliament that the hub was one of the tools that government has put in place to accelerate economic diversification and growth as well as create more employment opportunities in order to increase productivity.

The role of BIH is to facilitate the growth of the technology service industry in particular the information and communications technology with the aim of making Botswana an exporter of such value added services.

Furthermore, Mr Matambo alluded to the fact that as a landlocked country, exporting services using the telecommunications and date network offered a new opportunity.

Mr Matambo also highlighted that the hub was set up as a strategy to facilitate the countrys transformation into a knowledge economy. The hub will be a place where our locals will gain professional skills, develop entrepreneurship skills, appreciate international quality standards and therefore become the next generation of business professionals ready for the global challenge.

[Extract from story by Masego Pilane, Botswana Daily News]

For the full story >>> Botswana Daily News

38. At its core, the Botswana Excellence Strategy recognises the need for all of us to adopt a more outward looking mindset that is conducive to accelerated private sector development. In this respect existing and potential investors can be assured of this Government's steadfast commitment to an open society with an open economy in which all who can make a positive contribution are encouraged to do so. In pursuing investment, more especially outside investment, our country will continue to market its comparative advantages, which include our:

• Political and macro-economic stability, with a record of economic growth based on prudent management;
• Relatively educated, adaptable workforce;
• Low rate of taxation when compared to many countries;
• Absence of exchange controls; and
• Superior sovereign credit ratings; along with
• Stable banking institutions that ensure adequate financial resources to cope with exogenous shocks to the economy.

39. We, also recognise the existence of deterrents to investment. Inhibitors such as complexities in the tax code, shortage of industry relevant skills and poor labour productivity can and must be overcome as a matter of urgency. In addition to continued reform of the public service, this calls for a further commitment to the promotion of technological innovation, skills training, and a reduction in barriers to starting up and growing businesses. We are currently working on reviewing our tax regime as well, to make it more simple and relevant. Any new regime we put in place will commence in the next tax year.

40. During my tenure of office employment creation will be driven by the following:

• the six hubs;
• Foreign Direct Investment focusing on mining, tourism, agriculture and manufacturing sectors amongst others;
• import substitution;
• broadening the tourism and agricultural base;
• local procurement preference;
• government schemes such as CEDA, Youth Development Fund and Young Farmers Fund will be given additional resources;
• Construction; and
• Information Technology.

117. Technology: Madam Speaker, our ability to embrace new technologies will be a central determinant of our collective capacity to transform the economy toward an innovative, private sector led diversified growth. To enhance delivery in the areas of science, research and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Cabinet portfolios have been restructured through the creation of two new dedicated Ministries Infrastructure, Science and Technology and Transport and Communications.

118. It is our vision that Botswana will become a nation in which most of our citizens are engaged in knowledge based jobs. In keeping with this vision, we have been establishing an Innovation Hub as a commercial nexus for knowledge creation and innovation. The Hub will cater for ICT and Research and Development companies serving the local and international market. In the context of the financial constraints brought by the global recession, the project is being restructured to give it a corporate character better capable of attracting private equity.

119. In order to efficiently and effectively deliver public services to the people, Government has embarked upon the automation and integration of processes through the e-Government programme. The first major deliverable of e-government is the portal, a single window for accessing online government information, which has been developed and is undergoing testing. The next stage is automation and integration of services, which will start in the next financial year.

120. More broadly, ICT will play a key role in the attainment of Botswana development goals through the creation of conditions and incentives for provision of the widest possible access to ICT, particularly for rural and underserved areas. The Trans-Kalahari fibre optic project that was completed last year will ensure that superior telecommunications infrastructure reaches our major towns and villages, while also provide for Botswanas international connectivity through the neighbouring countries. It is now anticipated that, beginning from next year, Botswana will benefit from being linked to five major cable projects. 
 

For the full address, >>> State of Nation Address

Officiating at the workshop on promoting climate technology and carbon market partnerships in Gaborone on November 4, 2009, the Former President of Botswana and now UN Secretary General Special Envoy on Climate Change, Mr. Mogae said in Botswana and many parts of Africa, the sun is the attractive alternative as the country has 315 cloudless days per year and being along the Tropic of Capricon, the sun is strong.

He highlighted that the objective of the workshop was to share knowledge and facilitate business and partnership opportunities.

Mr Mogae explained that climate change will hit developing countries hardest and they will have the least capacity to fight back.

On other issues, he intimated that at the climate change summit in New York last September, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon explained that greenhouse gas emissions have now reached proportions that can destroy human life if not halted.

Consequently, he highlighted that global emissions would need to be reduced by at least 50 per cent by 2050, in order to starve off the worst effects Africa, he said, which is already short of water for its populations, will suffer further severe droughts and water shortages.

This, he argued, will worsen rural poverty and hamper sustainable development.

He said the UN secretary generals message was that industrialised countries must set ambitious emission targets, but also that developing countries must take appropriate action to mitigate climate, with necessary support.

 [Excerpts from an Article on Botswana Daily News dated November 5th, 2009, Front page]

For the full story >>> Daily News Online

In his inugural speech, His Excellency The President Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama had this to say about Botswana moving towards a knowledge society:

8. Closely related to the development of our skills base is the need to move with speed into a knowledge society. Communication, Science and Technology will be key in this. More use of ICT for service delivery, coupled with strengthened research and development, should not only give us greater efficiency, but opportunities for diversification beyond diamonds should be enhanced. Innovation and creativity, especially amongst the youth will be encouraged and promoted. Through communication infrastructure development, access for rural areas and international connectivity, as well as telemedicine will be greatly improved.

9. We have long recognized that the diversification of the economy both within the minerals sector and beyond is a key strategy for our future survival. It is for this reason that considerable investment will continue to go into mineral beneficiation, infrastructure development in all sectors including transport, energy and water. Our research and development institutions therefore, will have a critical role to play in product development. 
 

Source: Excerpts from the inaugural speech by President Khama, on 20th October 2009.