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”.