INNOVATION WEEK SPEECH DELIVERED BY DVC R&D

Today, we are gathered to celebrate our university’s Innovation Week for 2025. The theme, “The Future Now: Creativity and Innovation for Sustainable Development,” invites us to envision a future where the synergy of creative minds and innovative technologies propels us toward sustainable development.

In the past three years, we have directed our activities at changing mindsets, to get academics to see themselves as entrepreneurs and so see every research as an opportunity to proffer solutions to the problems of society. These solutions could be in the form of innovative technologies, a new and more efficient way of doing things or a new product that is then patented and commercialized or licensed to industry.

For long, as researchers we have concentrated on the pursuit of the uncovering of new knowledge or recreating existing knowledge for publication and career advancement. The focus of the R&D Office has therefore been to direct attention to the creation of new knowledge, ideas or technology that address problems or enhance existing products or services.

 Innovation is not merely a buzzword; it is the lifeblood of progress. It requires us to think beyond conventional boundaries, to challenge the status quo, and to embrace the unknown. Our universities are incubators of ideas, and our industries are engines of change. Together, they form a powerful alliance that can drive sustainable solutions. Creativity on the other hand is the catalyst that fuels our ability to adapt and thrive. It inspires us to see possibilities where others see problems, to find beauty in simplicity, and to connect the dots in ways that yield new perspectives. It is the force that drives artists, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to push the boundaries of what is possible.

I am therefore pleased to announce that our modest collective efforts have borne fruits, and it is my hope that these efforts will strengthen our position as a leading institution in impactful research, innovation, and academic excellence. Because, this thankfully is my last Innovation Week, let me quickly take you through some of these efforts.

1. Enhancing Research Quality and Impact

It is one of the goals of the R&D office to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across faculties to address critical societal and global challenges, particularly in energy, health, environment, and digital transformation. In the past year we have seen more of that happening and as evidence, there are several such groups that have won grants locally and internationally. An example is Prof AI Hart’s group that won the National Research Fund grant and in collaboration with Boskel Ltd built a pyrolysis machine that converts plastic waste to diesel and other hydrocarbon fuels.

We must, going forward, incentivize publishing in high-impact journals and presenting research at prestigious conferences. We are not doing poorly, ranking wise but if we are to reclaim the lofty heights, we attained on the Times Higher Education ranking in 2015 of number 1 in Nigeria, this is something we must do.

2. Securing Research Funding

We have revised the research management policy of the University and proposed the re-establishment of a Research Management Office to assist in identifying funding opportunities and navigating the application process. The office will also help strengthen partnerships with local and international funding agencies, industries, and government bodies.

We have convinced Management of the University to reactivate the Senate Research Grant and to lunch competitive internal grant schemes to support early-career researchers and novel ideas. This year, there is provision in the budget to support these projects. Charity must begin at home, don’t you agree?

We have done very well in securing research funding, as last year, we secured a total of three million seven hundred and forty six thousand, four hundred and seven dollars ($3,746,407) and one million seven hundred and ninety nine thousand, one hundred Euros (€1,799,100) in foreign grants and thirty million, nine hundred and thirty one thousand, seven hundred and twenty Naira (N30,931,720) in local grants, to fund research.

3. Capacity Building and Talent Development

We have in the past year placed a number of early career researchers in postgraduate fellowship programmes in the United States and in Brazil. Additionally, we have facilitated the participation in staff mobility of the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union to Portugal, the participation of a staff in the TechWomen event in the United States that enabled her “connect with an inspiring global network of women leaders in STEM, fostering collaborations and sparking innovative solutions to challenges in STEM fields, particularly agriculture.”

This year we need an expansion of mentorship programmes for early-career researchers and postgraduate students, to organize training on emerging technologies and methodologies relevant to cutting-edge research, especially artificial intelligence. We shall continue our efforts to facilitate exchange programs with leading universities and research institutions globally.

4. Innovation and Commercialization

This is one area that requires strengthening. We were awarded first place last year for number of patent applications, but an insignificant proportion of these patents are either licensed to industry or commercialized. Accordingly, we are in the process of reviewing and strengthening the University’s Intellectual Property (IP) policy to encourage patenting and commercialization of research outputs.

We have almost completed arrangements to establish an Innovation Hub to promote entrepreneurship and the incubation of start-ups driven by research findings with the help of TETFUND and the World Bank Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicological Research.

We have partnerships with industries to co-develop solutions and translate research into practical applications but need to establish more.

5. Sustainability and Community Engagement

University-community engagement refers to the ways in which universities collaborate with local communities, bringing their resources, knowledge, and expertise to bear on issues such as education, public health, environmental sustainability, and economic development. This engagement goes beyond traditional outreach or charity; it involves long-term, mutually beneficial relationships aimed at solving real-world problems.

Universities’ engagement with local communities offers a range of social, educational, and economic benefits. Community-based partnerships allow universities to contribute directly to addressing the unique needs of their surrounding regions while also providing students with experiential learning opportunities.

Going forward we will focus on research projects that directly benefit our immediate community, particularly in sustainable development and environmental protection, promote collaboration with local stakeholders to implement community-based solutions and showcase the University’s R&D achievements through public fora and media engagement.

6. Infrastructure Development

ACEPUTOR has set up as part of its sustainability plan a laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment that will increase our collective capacity to do meaningful research. We will increase our efforts by direct investment and by collaboration with other research centers to intentionally upgrade laboratory facilities across all Departments and enhance access to research databases and digital tools to support advanced research. We continue to advocate the formation of research teams and specialized research centers to advance our strategic research goals.

These priorities are a roadmap for achieving excellence in R&D this year. As we embark on this journey of sustainable development, let us remember that true innovation is inclusive. It embraces diversity of thought, culture, and experience. It values collaboration over competition and recognizes that the most profound solutions often arise from the collective wisdom of diverse minds.

Today, I challenge each one of you—students, researchers, professionals, and leaders—to harness your creativity and innovation for the greater good. Let us commit to developing technologies that are not only cutting-edge but also environmentally responsible. Let us design systems that uplift communities and promote social equity. And let us inspire future generations to carry forward the torch of sustainability with passion and purpose.

The future is not a distant horizon; it is shaped by our actions today. As we celebrate Innovation Week 2025, let us envision a world where creativity and innovation work hand in hand to build a sustainable, thriving future for all.

Together, let us make 2025 a landmark year for research and development at the University of Port Harcourt.

Thank you for your dedication and support.

Professor Iyeopu Minakiri Siminialayi FWASP, FNAMed

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Development)

February 4, 2025

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