South Sudan launches Innovation Pod

South Sudan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Wednesday jointly launched the University Innovation Pod (UNIPOD) at the University of Juba to promote cultural innovation, support interdisciplinary research, and nurture the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs within the University (News Ghana)

The UNIPOD is a 1.1-million-U.S. dollar project, located at the University of Juba and has state of the art-tech equipment from electrical engineering, mechanical prefabricators, food processing, art, and design to technology to produce microchips.

John Apuruot Akec, Vice Chancellor for the University of Juba, said the UNIPOD will help in the transfer of technology to key strategic sectors, facilitate the transfer of technology and know-how to key strategic sectors and also serve communities.

“This project is meant to enhance the elevation and acceleration of learning for students and talent of the youths, this UNIPOD is a realization of our mission of economic empowerment and social transformation and service to the community,” Apuruot said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Apuruot said the UNIPOD will be open to bringing in young people to test their ideas and will provide social spaces for them to track and think strategy and launch their product.

Titus Osundina, deputy country director for UNDP South Sudan, said the UNIPOD is a unique innovation space that can be used to create innovations, new ideas and provide solutions and is open to all that wants to go into research.

He revealed that South Sudan is the first to operationalize the Innovation Pod among the 13 Innovation Pods that have been established by the UNDP Africa regional bureau.