The University signed MoU with these two organizations on February 28, 2019 to enhance its engagement in community service and technology commercialization.

IBA Ethiopia is a legally registered company in Ethiopia, based in Norway, engaged in providing business and investment consulting, training and mentoring services to business start-ups and entrepreneurs, organizing and hosting business, investment and entrepreneurship related events as well as setting up and running business, investment and entrepreneurship excellence and training centers. It focuses on start-ups accelerator (commercialization of start-ups), investment scale-up, business incubation and investment facilitation services (investment support).

On the other hand, EMDIDI was established in 2013 with the objective to provide all round support to the meat and dairy industry and  thereby  accelerate  technology  transfer,  achieve  transformation  and  enable  the  industry  to  be competitive at international level. Dairy sector is one of the major activities of this institute.  It formulates policies, strategies, directives and action plans that assist in the facilitation of the development of meat and dairy industry, and implement same upon approval; conduct  research  and  development  and  identify  relevant  technologies  applicable  to  the development  of  the  meat  and  dairy  industry,  transfer  these  technologies  to  the  industry  and support them to enter the market thereafter, and encourage the industry to establish research and development unit; conduct studies and research, including market research that support the development of the meat and dairy industry; assist the industry to promote their products in the domestic as well as the  international  market;  and  work  closely  with  relevant  stakeholders  in  order  to  implement effective marketing systems in the industry among others.

The MoU with IBA-Ethiopia will help to establish public-private partnership between parties for the purpose of facilitation, commercialization and acceleration of investments on start-ups that are incubated by HU;promote university graduates and young innovators so as to provide them with opportunities to transform their creativities into profitable business ventures by linking them with potential investors from local and abroad; enable commercialization of creative ideas, self-employment, and transfer of technology, as well as create managerial and financial capability.

The MoU with EMDIDI will aid to undertake research and capacity building work on dairy sector in Eastern Hararghe, Dire Dawa, and Jigjiga to build capacities of dairy cooperatives (particularly Jiru Siresa Milk and Milk products cooperative), and  Dire Daw and Jigjiga camel milk processing companies.

Prof. Jeylan Woliye, Delegated-President of the University, underlined that such MoUs are very important for better and organized community services of all parties and shall be followed up and put into practices. Moreover, Mr. Taddese Guta, Deputy Director General of EMDIDI indicated that EMDIDI has been working with Haramaya University and expressed readiness of his Institute to work with the University. Prof. Kebede W/Tsadik, Vice-president for Community Engagement and Enterprise Development, emphasized that “signing the MoUs is not the end but the means to establish collaboration to effectively carry out our responsibilities, hence we shall give due attention to activities mentioned in the MoU to meet the objectives of these MoUs”.