Zambia has welcomed the MineTech Hub, one of ten sector-specific pan-African innovation and acceleration hubs established throughout the continent as part of the UNDP’s (UNDP) timbuktoo Initiative.
With an emphasis on reimagining the mining industry, the MineTech Hub will be the first of its kind on the continent and will also run an accelerator program. It will be armed with the know-how to use technology to optimize mining operations, raise safety standards, and reduce environmental impact.
Set against the backdrop of Zambia’s 100-year copper mining history, the new hub, housed at the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR), lays the groundwork for a new era of innovation and sustainable technological advancements in the mining industry.
The MineTech Hub is a place to rethink mining from a previously unexplored perspective, according to Natalie Jabangwe, executive secretary of the Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation.
“We are not merely breaking ground on a physical structure; we are igniting a movement that aligns innovation with opportunity. The establishment of this hub symbolises our collective commitment to transforming the youth of Africa into empowered innovators poised to revolutionise our mining sector and beyond,” she said/
“Our initiative seeks to create an enabling environment for innovation and technology uptake, particularly in the mining industry. Over the next decade, we are committed to investing US$1 billion to support startup ecosystems across Africa.”
