BY YESUF ENDRIS
ADDIS ABABA– The government of Ethiopia is taking the manufacturing industry as the engine of holistic development and will provide special support for research in the sector, the Ministry of Industry (MoI) said.
Speaking at the event organized to promote research proposals for manufacturing investment, MoI Minister Melaku Alebel stated that, the government uses the platform to integrate researchers with public and private companies working on the sector.
“Problem solving research in the manufacturing industry will be the priorities of the government since the sector has a potential of creating jobs for millions and we launched the Ethiopia Produces campaign to boost the sector’s capacity through input production.”
Noting several universities and other institutions have conducted problem solving research, Melaku indicated that the number and impact of most of the studies is still unsatisfactory. Also, most of the research and journals conducted on the area lack excellence and the situation justified the need to exert more investment in building the institutions’ capacity.
Cognizant of the need to create a research-based industry to keep Ethiopia’s products global competitiveness, the government has registered good results in linking higher education institutions with industries and harmonizing their activities, the minister emphasized.
Manufacturing Industry Development Institute Director Milkesa Jagama highlighted the institute’s engagement in conducting research to support the industrial development. The institution is carried out studies in partnership with researchers and universities and in the current year, several studies have been conducted in textile, leather, chemical and construction input manufacturing industries.
In May 2022, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) launched a national manufacturing industry movement named Ethiopia Produces. The movement is aimed to replicate the success in the agricultural sector in the manufacturing industry, it was learned.
The Ethiopian Herald January 6/2023
