By Ngozi Onyeakusi—In a bid to create a platform for critical stakeholders to share ideas, explore opportunities for collaboration and co-create pathways for the commercialisation of research outputs, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is partnering Triple Helix Nigeria (THN) to host the maiden edition of the SciBiz Annual Conference 2024.

Themed “Integrating Research Innovation and Policy: Triple Helix Pathway to a Digital Nigeria,” the event, slated for Abuja between 23rd and 25th October, brings together the academia, industry and government – known as the three arms of the Triple Helix – for the purpose of formulating strategies to bridge the gap between scientific discoveries and their practical applications in solving societal challenges.

The group notes that “The Triple Helix model…has been a proven mechanism for fostering innovation ecosystems in advanced economies,” but that it has been largely lacking in Nigeria because of limited interaction among the three aforesaid arms, with the result that the potential synergy has remained untapped.

The Conference, which is being sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), is touted as a strategic response to “the urgent need to strengthen innovations that convert research findings into marketable products and services, generate employment, and stimulate economic growth.”

Key programme elements, as announced, include Plenary Sessions, featuring expert keynote speakers from Nigeria and abroad; Panel Discussions in which leaders from the academia, industry, and government, would explore how to overcome barriers to research commercialisation and innovation in Nigeria, and Innovation Pitching Competition, to be conducted in collaboration with OxFounders, featuring presentation of projects undertaken by startups and innovators to potential investors and partners.

Other key elements are Workshops and Breakout Sessions, involving discussion groups focusing on research funding, intellectual property management, and fostering entrepreneurial mindset in universities; Exhibition, a platform for innovators, startups, research institutions, and industries to showcase their products, services, and technologies to a diverse audience, and Diaspora Engagement, for which a dedicated subcommittee is in place “to facilitate collaborations with Nigerian professionals to leverage global expertise for local challenges.”

Target audience for the Conference are academics and researchers from Nigerian and international universities, representatives from industries, including startups and small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), government officials and policymakers in science, technology, and innovation sectors, investors and venture capitalists, international organisations and development partners, innovators, entrepreneurs, and students.