KAMPALA, Uganda – The Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) is launching the Innovation Bootcamp and Pitch 2025, a four-day program designed to help students transform their innovative projects into viable businesses.
The bootcamp, scheduled for Thursday, May 15, to Sunday, May 18, 2025, will take place at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa.
In collaboration with the National ICT Innovation Hub, the initiative seeks to nurture academic creativity and convert it into solutions addressing real-world socio-economic challenges. The theme for this year’s bootcamp is “Transforming Student Projects into Minimum Viable Products & Services enroute to Commercialisation.”
Key stakeholders in the ICT sector are supporting the event, including the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U), RENU, Lwera Electronics & Semi-Conductors Ltd, Innovation Village, and the Center for Innovations and Technology Transfer at Mbarara University.
This support will provide students with access to advanced mentorship, prototyping infrastructure, and crucial industry networks to help scale their projects and attract investment.
Gastervas Rutwara Mugume, head of UICT’s Research and Innovations Unit, emphasized the program’s significance. “Each year, our students develop exceptional projects that often end at grading,” he said. “This bootcamp changes that, providing a platform for students to refine, prototype, and pitch their solutions with guidance from leading experts, mentors, and policymakers.”
Throughout the bootcamp, participants will engage in hands-on sessions focusing on design thinking, business model development, intellectual property protection, industry collaboration, and startup financing.
The event will conclude with a competitive pitch session judged by a panel of experts. The top teams will have the opportunity to secure further mentorship and incubation support.
The Innovation Bootcamp & Pitch 2025 aligns with UICT’s strategic direction to promote applied research and innovation. It also supports national objectives outlined in Uganda Vision 2040, the NDP III, and the Digital Transformation Roadmap (2023/24–2027/28) led by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.
UICT aims to highlight at least ten promising student-led projects with the potential for real-world impact, offering them a pathway to further development and potential commercialization.
