Makerere University hosted the second day of the 10th National Conference on Communications (NCC2026), bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, academics and young innovators to discuss how Uganda can strengthen its innovation ecosystem and turn ideas into market-ready solutions.
Held under the theme “Accelerating Market-Driven Innovation for Uganda’s Development,” the conference examined how academia, industry and government can work more closely to create an environment where innovation contributes to economic development.
CK Japheth, Co-Founder of The Innovation Village, opened discussions with a session on “Beyond Ideas: Building Markets and Ecosystems for Innovation.” He emphasised the role of universities and research institutions in developing successful innovation ecosystems and called for stronger connections between education, research and industry.
The conference also examined how standards can support market-driven innovation. Patricia Ejalu, Executive Director, Standards at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), noted that emerging technologies can develop before formal standards are established. She called for innovators, students, academia and industry to participate more actively in standards development.
Government’s evolving role in Uganda’s digital economy was another key focus. Julian Rweju, Director of E-Government Services at NITA-U, discussed how government platforms and e-services can help create new digital markets.
Rweju said government should focus on creating an enabling environment for the private sector and creative industries. He also called for open application programming interfaces (APIs) that would allow businesses to build digital services around government platforms.
The second day also showcased young innovators from secondary schools, who demonstrated technology-based solutions to practical challenges. Their participation highlighted the role of students and emerging innovators in shaping Uganda’s digital economy.
NCC2026 continues to highlight the importance of collaboration between academia, government and industry in building an innovation ecosystem capable of translating research and ideas into solutions with market and economic value.
