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March 20, 2025 — The Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) is sharpening its focus on turning lab breakthroughs into market-ready products, with a deliberate strategy to put local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) at the center of the process. During a recent engagement with a local authority, Lesego Moribame, BITRI’s Acting Director of Research and Partnerships, laid out the institute’s three-pronged approach to commercializing its technology portfolio.
“BITRI was set up as a parastatal to build technology-based solutions that tackle national priorities. Our mandate goes beyond research; we aim for tangible economic impact,” Moribame said. The institute’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO), operating under the Department of Research and Partnerships, serves as the primary engine for moving innovations from the lab to the marketplace via structured intellectual property management and business development.
The first pathway is licensing. BITRI grants companies the rights to manufacture and sell its technologies while retaining ownership and earning royalties, which are reinvested into R&D. Local SMEs get priority under non-exclusive licensing deals, allowing multiple firms to bring similar products to market and foster competition. This model mirrors successful university technology transfer offices in the US, such as those at Stanford or MIT, where non-exclusive licenses have accelerated adoption of clean energy and biomedical innovations.
The second model is full technology transfer, where ownership of a given technology is handed over to capable partners with the scale to ramp up commercial production. This approach is often used for mature innovations that require significant manufacturing capacity and quality control—similar to how the US Department of Energy’s national labs transfer advanced materials to private industry.
The third pathway focuses on establishing new ventures. BITRI supports spin-off companies and joint ventures to attract investment in cases where suitable private sector partners are limited. This is akin to the venture creation units found at US research universities, such as the University of Utah’s spin-out incubator, which has generated dozens of startups in medical devices and software.
Supporting all three pathways is BITRI Investments, the institute’s wholly owned commercial subsidiary. It facilitates partnerships, manages market entry, and structures commercial transactions—including collaborations in battery metals processing, a sector that aligns with the global push for electric vehicle supply chains.
Before any technology enters the market, it undergoes quality assurance through the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) and is protected via patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property mechanisms. This due diligence mirrors best practices in US federal labs, where tech readiness levels and freedom-to-operate analyses are standard.
Innovations nearing commercial deployment
Matlhogonolo Mosweu, Technology Transfer Business Specialist at BITRI, highlighted several breakthroughs that have moved beyond the research phase and are now being primed for broader adoption.
One standout is the Seding LED Solar Light—an off-grid solar lighting solution for residential, agricultural, and commercial use. BITRI has already set up assembly plants, including one in Kanye, and the latest Seding V2.5 model is designed for local manufacturing and eventual export. This aligns with global trends: off-grid solar is a $2 billion market annually, according to the World Bank, and Africa accounts for nearly 40% of installations.
Another promising project is BITRI’s electric vehicle retrofitting plant in Kanye. Conventional petrol and diesel vehicles are converted into electric vehicles, reducing operating costs and emissions while building local expertise in green mobility. The US market has seen similar retrofitting initiatives from companies like EV West and Zelectric, but BITRI’s approach is tailored to a region where new EV imports remain expensive and charging infrastructure is sparse.
Beyond energy, BITRI is commercializing innovations in specialty chemicals and advanced materials, including KSBB bricks. Commercial support goes beyond product development to include licensing, prototyping, technical training, and business incubation for local enterprises. This holistic support system is reminiscent of the US Small Business Administration’s SBIR/STTR programs, which pair federal R&D funding with commercialization assistance.
Why SME-led commercialization matters for Botswana—and lessons for the US
Botswana’s push to deepen economic diversification by increasing the contribution of knowledge-based industries mirrors challenges faced by many US states that rely heavily on natural resources or manufacturing. BITRI’s focused effort to SMEs as the primary vehicle for tech transfer stands in contrast to the US model, where large corporations often dominate licensing deals. However, research from the Brookings Institution shows that small businesses produce 16 times more patents per employee than large firms, suggesting that SME-led commercialization can be highly efficient.
“BITRI’s strategy could serve as a case study for regions in the US that are trying to build innovation ecosystems without a deep pool of venture capital,” said Dr. Elena Torres, a technology transfer expert at the University of Texas at Austin. “The focus on non-exclusive licensing and spin-offs with local anchor partners reduces the risk that technologies will sit on the shelf.”
The institute’s commercial push comes as Botswana accelerates its long-term vision to move from a diamond-dependent economy to one driven by knowledge, services, and high-tech manufacturing. According to the World Bank, Botswana’s economy grew at 3.2% in 2024, but the government has set a target of 6% annual growth by 2030, largely through diversification.
Looking ahead
BITRI officials indicated that the institute is expanding its portfolio in two areas: agricultural technology and water purification systems, both critical for Botswana’s semi-arid climate. Early-stage discussions with international partners—including a US-based agtech accelerator—are underway to pilot soil sensors and smart irrigation platforms.
“The road to commercialization is long, but we are already seeing SMEs pick up our technologies and create jobs,” Moribame said. “Our goal is to prove that research institutions in Africa can compete globally—not just in knowledge creation, but in market impact.”
For US readers interested in how developing nations build innovation bridges, BITRI’s model offers a template that blends public research, SME empowerment, and targeted private investment—factors increasingly relevant in the post-pandemic reshoring landscape.
