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National University of Science and Technology Vice Chancellor Professor Lindela Ndlovu (left) and TelOne managing director Chipo Mtasa sign a Memorandum of Understanding at a local hotel yesterday

Molline Gagare Business Reporter
TELEPHONE service provider, TelOne and the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a framework for research collaboration activities aimed at increasing growth in the information communication technology sector.

The MoU was signed by TelOne managing director Chipo Mtasa and Nust Vice Chancellor Professor Lindela Ndlovu.

Speaking during the ceremony, Mtasa said the ICT sector had become a radical transformation agent hence the need for companies to increase innovation in order to keep up with world trends.

“In an effort to widen its sources of innovative ideas, TelOne is engaging universities and other institutes of higher learning with a view to forge partnerships with the institutions. Through these collaborative arrangements, TelOne is hoping to benefit from the numerous research papers produced by university students and academic staff,” she said.

Mtasa said TelOne chose to work with Nust because of its focus on science and technology.

“The university endeavours to come up with innovative products that compete well in this ever changing ICT environment. It also operates a unit called ‘Technopark’ responsible for identifying projects that can be commercialised that TelOne can take advantage of by becoming the implementing partner of the identified projects,” Mtasa added.

She said some of the areas of possible collaboration between the two institutes included research to resolve identified challenges of a technical or commercial nature and commercialisation of identified academic research findings and promotion of innovations.

Prof Ndlovu said through this relationship, TelOne could tap into the body of knowledge generated by the university for the advancement of ICTs in Zimbabwe.

He said the MoU entails that TelOne would have access to completed research projects from which it can pick innovative ideas to commercialise.

“The MoU commits the two institutions to increased collaboration, cooperation and interaction for the further promotion and understanding of Telecommunications and ICT science and engineering,” Prof Ndlovu said.

TelOne has grown to be the second largest fixed line network in the region after Telkom of South Africa.