Tshere dismisses BITRI-BDIH merger

In a significant development aimed at job creation, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government has pledged full support to the Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) by scaling up its vehicle retrofitting programme.Originally initiated under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) administration, the retrofitting project—based at BITRI’s Kanye facility—was developed after extensive research, with the long-term goalof commercialisation and contributing to environmental sustainability. However, progress has remained modest.Under the current UDC administration, there are ongoing plans to separate research and innovation functions from BITRI—a move expected to fast-track the retrofitting of a significant number of government vehicles.Speaking to the Botswana Guardian, Minister of Communications and Innovation, David Tshere, confirmed that in addition to the ongoing electric vehicle (EV) assembly programme, his Ministry will also spearhead a dedicated retrofitting initiative.Tshere explained that they are continuing with what was started by the previous administration, as retrofitting work has already begun, with a few prototypes completed using decommissioned government vehicles.“We have started with a few samples—some vehicles have already been retrofitted. It’s a project we are seriously considering scaling up,” he said.However, he clarified that, unlike the EV assembly—which is moving towards commercialisation—the retrofitting initiative remains at the research and development stage under BITRI.Retrofitting involves taking an old vehicle, removing its combustion engine, and replacing it with an electric battery and other necessary components to make it function as an electric vehicle.‘’This process requires detailed study and careful observation,” Tshere said. He noted that BITRI has already retrofitted one or two vehicles at its Kanye facility.“We need to carefully assess the cost-benefit implications before considering a wider rollout. It is important to note that this project is separate from the EV assembly we are conducting in partnershipwith the Chinese,” he added.Tshere affirmed BITRI’s continued existence, stating, “BITRI is here to stay.” He emphasised that BITRI serves as the Ministry’s research arm and addressed recent speculation about a possible merger with the Botswana Digital & Innovation Hub (BDIH).“There has been talk of merging BITRI with BDIH, but I have previously clarified that this is not the direction we’re taking. We are currently drafting legislation to establish the Research and Innovation Council (RIC), which will serve as the apex body responsible for policy development and coordination across the entire research and innovation ecosystem,” Tshere said.Once the Council is in place, it will ensure a clear distinction between research and innovation. “We have learned that allowing a single institution to handle everything—from research to prototyping and commercialisation—doesn’t work effectively”.That’s why BITRI will remain focused on research within the Ministry, while BDIH will continue to drive innovation, prototyping, incubation, and eventual commercialisation. Each entity will have its own distinct mandate, guided by separate founding instruments.While a timeline for launching the RIC has not yet been finalised, Tshere confirmed that Cabinet has approved the drafting of the Bill.“We have submitted our layman’s draft to the Attorney General. Although we had hoped the Research and Innovation Bill would be tabled during this sitting of Parliament, it appears unlikely.However, the drafting process is well underway, and once finalised, Cabinet will approve it before it is introduced to Parliament. If time allows, we hope it will be passed during the next session,” he said.

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Tshere dismisses BITRI-BDIH merger