By Spy Uganda
Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Hon. Sanjay Tanna has challenged the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) to step up service delivery, expand its reach to ordinary Ugandans and ensure that more innovations developed at the institute are transformed into commercially viable products.
Tanna made the call during a meeting with the UIRI Board at the Machining, Manufacturing and Industrial Skills Development Centre in Namanve, where he assessed the institute’s capacity, achievements and challenges.
The Minister commended UIRI for its advanced facilities and technical capacity but said more needed to be done to ensure the institution’s work directly benefits Ugandan businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), small producer groups and agro-processors.
He raised concern over limited public awareness about UIRI’s services, the slow commercialization of innovations and Uganda’s continued dependence on imported machinery.
“UIRI has been equipped with everything to deliver to us what we need as a country. The institution has the capacity to shine and deliver its mandate if only they can work on the management and coordination gaps,” Tanna said.
He urged UIRI to prioritise the development of affordable and locally manufactured machinery that can enable small businesses and producer groups to add value to locally available raw materials.
Among the areas highlighted was agro-processing, with the Minister pointing to products such as honey and shea butter where appropriate machinery could help Ugandan producers increase production, improve quality and access wider markets.
Tanna also called for greater investment in young people through increased recruitment and skills training, saying Uganda needs a stronger pipeline of technically skilled workers to support industrialisation.
He further urged UIRI to intensify public sensitisation so that more Ugandans, especially entrepreneurs and SMEs, understand the services and technologies available at the institute.
A major focus of the engagement was commercialization, with Tanna stressing that research and innovation should ultimately translate into products, businesses, jobs and increased industrial production.
UIRI Board Chairperson Rtd. Gen. Ivan Koreta said the institution continues to face challenges including budget cuts, inadequate financing for innovations, difficulties encountered by incubatees after completing programmes at UIRI and limited access to markets.
Koreta proposed dedicated funding to fully operationalise the Namanve centre as a flagship national hub for industrial skills development, manufacturing and innovation.
He said strengthening the centre would enhance UIRI’s ability to support entrepreneurs, develop technologies and provide practical industrial skills to Ugandans.
UIRI Executive Director Prof. Charles Kwesiga reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to increasing the commercialization of its innovations and fully operationalising the Namanve facility.
The engagement comes as Uganda seeks to deepen local manufacturing, create jobs and reduce dependence on imported industrial equipment.
Tanna’s message to UIRI was clear: the institute must move beyond research and training to ensure its innovations reach the market, support SMEs, strengthen agro-processing and contribute directly to Uganda’s industrial transformation.
