President Emmerson Mnangagwa hosted the prestigious Presidential Innovation Awards at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on Wednesday, celebrating the success of Zimbabwe’s Education 5.0 model.
Verify Engineering took the top prize of $50,000 for their groundbreaking production of medical oxygen, a crucial innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) came in second, receiving $25,000 for their local number plate production plant, while the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) secured third place with $20,000 for their DNA analysis capabilities.
These awards underscore President Mnangagwa’s commitment to fostering technological and digital innovation as part of the nation’s journey toward the 4th Industrial Revolution. The initiative serves as a motivator for both academia and industry to embrace technological advancement, which is critical for realizing Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030. The Education 5.0 model, which prioritizes practical research and innovation, has laid the groundwork for this success through the establishment of innovation hubs and industrial parks across the country.
The achievements of Verify Engineering, UZ, and NUST highlight how necessity has driven innovation in Zimbabwe. Verify Engineering’s oxygen production breakthrough saved countless lives during the pandemic, especially when international supplies were constrained due to sanctions. UZ’s local production of number plates has eliminated long waiting periods and corrupt practices, while NUST’s advancements in DNA analysis have expedited criminal investigations and paternity cases.
These tangible results of Education 5.0 reaffirm the government’s development mantra, “Nyika Inovakwa Nekutongwa Nekunamatirwa Nevene Vayo” (A nation is built, governed, and prayed for by its own people), further accelerating Zimbabwe’s progress toward achieving Vision 2030.
