Nairobi — The Government is committed to accelerating the commercialisation of research and innovation in the country.

President William Ruto said the provision of incentives and the scaling up funding in innovation will expand opportunities for the youth.

The goal, he added, is to promote the achievement of innovation, value creation and competitive advantage.

The President said the Government is facilitating access to quality infrastructure, financing and training for youth to enhance inclusivity in innovation.

"We have no choice except to recognise innovation as a promising instrument for unlocking the doors of unprecedented opportunities," he explained.

He made the remarks on Monday during the official opening of the 2023 Kenya Innovation Week, Commonwealth Edition at the College of Insurance in Nairobi.

The President observed that the youth play a pivotal role in driving innovation within the country's economy, citing that youth-driven start-ups secured US dollars 700 million last year, positioning Kenya as a leading investment hub in Africa.

For this reason, he went explained, the Government is deliberately promoting "the innovative mindset"from an early age through the competence-based curriculum.

"The objective is to facilitate the rapid development of a sustainable pipeline of globally competitive innovators," he added.

The Head of State said the government has launched the Presidential Innovation Award to recognise the most promising innovations during the Jamhuri Day celebrations.

He observed that this year's edition will consider submissions from all counties, covering food security and agriculture, digital transformation, healthcare, entertainment and gaming, climate action and green energy.

Present during this year's edition were Patricia Scotland the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Cabinet Secretaries and various stakeholders. - Presidential Communication Service