Botswana’s digital innovation driver the Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) has been officially relaunched as the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BD&IH) as the country intensifies efforts to embrace and leverage 4IR.

The Southern African country has introduced a strategy, the Fourth Industrial Revolution Digital Transformation Strategy or SmartBots, designed to accelerate digital transformation.

BD&IH Acting CEO Tshepo Tsheko said as the organisation adapts to its newly defined role, it will renew its focus on fostering high-tech businesses and commercialising ideas for sustainable economic growth in order to achieve its objective to be Africa’s innovation leader.

“This is all done with the primary aim of supporting the national innovation ecosystem to enhance Botswana’s global competitiveness. The SmartBots Strategy is an action plan that aims to deliver a smart, sustainable society for Botswana by digitalising the public sector for more efficient service delivery,” said Tsheko.

He added that the role of BDIH is to facilitate the co-creation of innovative and citizen-driven public services that can be deployed and championed on the local market.

It also serves to showcase services that are co-developed by young innovators, SMEs and within established frameworks and sold through newly established companies incubated at the BDIH, throughout Africa and then the world.

Tsheko added: “We are redefining who we are, driving change and shaping the present and future of innovation in national development.”

In his recent State of the Nation Address President Mokgweetsi Masisi confirmed the country’s digitisation strategy will leverage 4IR and that the transition to a knowledge-based economy requires significant investment in strategic infrastructure.

“This will unlock and enable high productivity among our people. Batswana, I encourage you to stand up and be part of this transformation.”

He further highlighted that the country’s transition to a knowledge-based economy requires significant investment in strategic infrastructure.