About UoM Innovation Week 2020

The UoM Innovation Week 2020 is a first of its kind. It aims at bringing together academia, the public sector and the private sector in view of strengthening partnerships between the parties for the benefit of the country. The primary purpose of this first UoM Innovation Week is to enhance interactions between all stakeholders in view of stimulating an innovation and entrepreneurship culture in Mauritius, in line with UoM’s vision. 

This new UoM vision, coined in 2017, to develop a research-engaged and entrepreneurial University focused on innovation, is itself inspired from SDG 9 which is about building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation.

The Innovation Week will also be an opportunity for UoM Academics to showcase their innovative research and increase the researchers’ visibility to both the public and private sectors and it will also give students the possibility to unleash their creative potential. 

Each day has been designed to target a specific objective and a specific audience. On Day 1, we will launch the UoM Hackathon, where UoM Students will participate in teams to develop innovative solutions in the health and agricultural sectors in Mauritius. Day 2 will be devoted to capacity building and training of UoM academic staff and doctoral students in design thinking and developing the entrepreneurial mindset. On Day 3, UoM will engage with key Industry Players to brainstorm on opportunities for new University-Industry Partnerships as a key strategy for innovative and sustainable national economic growth. Day 4 will be dedicated to similar interactions with the public sector and parastatal bodies aimed at identifying impediments and bridging the gaps to innovation in the sector. Day 5 will conclude the UoM Innovation Week 2020, with a Roundtable led by the University-Industry Consultative Committee. 

By the end of the week-long presentations and discussions, we expect to come up with an actionable plan with proposals to support and accelerate the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Mauritius.