Swarm Summit and Expo 2019

The Timing and Location

The Swarm Summit and Expo took place on the 22nd and 23rd of November. The event was organized by Hive Colab and the ICT association of Uganda and supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the International Trade Centre. This year was different. The team at the ICT association had for a while been planning to have an Expo where local innovations could be showcased and entrepreneurs given a chance to share their ideas. In addition to this, the HIve Colab crew were approaching their fourth year since the start of the Swarm Summits. The two groups therefore gathered and chose to have a merger of sorts.

The venue for the event was the Uganda Manufacturers Associations' Multipurpose Hall in Lugogo.  The place if famous for hosting nationwide trade fairs as well as often being picked for University Exhibitions. 

Roll Play

What was different this time around was instead of being an attendee, i was an exhibitor.  With about two days left to the event, and after the costs for booths were slashed this was a decision that we had to take quickly. When you exhibit, your perspective is totally different. Access to the plenary sessions is limited as is time for anything but intensive focus on the activity at your table. There was for the event in addition to plenaries, an opportunity to connect at a business to business level. Catering was handled by Kahwago and Roll. Kahawa2go a restaurant and cafe that has access to Ntinda Complex Mall and the Innovation Village which occupies two buildings in the same area and could arguably be one of the largest innovation spaces and hubs in the country. Roll (Currently on Corner House, Mawanda Road ) on the other hand has worked with Hive Colab before and supplied their tasty rolexes (a tortilla like wraps filled with everything from cheese, meat or bans to avocado, tomatoes and onions) to attendees of the ICT association gatherings. Roll and Kahawa2Go both are different in that they both have not been in business too long and are therefore in the category of start-ups.

Broadening the Definition of Ecosystem

This is good news for both of these companies as well as the ecosystem because the system as it stands is not made up of wholly technology based companies. The theme for the two days was celebrating Uganda's Digital Transformation. This was done by splitting the event into Several Panels the first was the Investment Panel which sought to find better ways of uniting investors with start-ups beyond the standard methods of competitions and awards which are often unfair to the participants. On the list of panellists were:

Reuben Gasansule - KAIN Uganda 

FSD Uganda - Rashmi Pillai

Fenix International – Amy Robinson

The first two have are related in the sense that Kain has is offices in a complex 'owned' by the innovation village where they are one of the first angel investor networks in the country. FSD on the other hand was part of the last Innovation week where they played the role of sponsor and with the vision of advancing financial inclusion through data innovation.     

About the Numbers 

The second panel was the AgriTech panel. On the local scene we sought to find the right answers to questions regarding investment and productivity in a sector that employs about 70% of Uganda's population. The panellists were asked to discuss the recent decision by the president to invest sh. 80 Billion into purchase and distribution of hoes to farmers to see if that was the right move to make. Was this the direction we needed to take in light of the previous push towards mechanization? On the list of panellists were:

Joseph Ogwal  - Agrosupply  

Evelyn Namara - Vouch Digital 

Enock Rutsigazi - Embryo Transfer

The third panel on the first day was the Exporting IT panel. The first we sought to deal with was related to the success factors that each SME must deal with exporting ITO/BPO (IT outsourcing and business process outsourcing) services. The second question was about how SME can realize export targets. The Netherlands Trust Fund Programme has been in place for the last few years and has been responsible for many of the positive changes in the sector locally. The NTF IV (Netherlands Trust Fund) programme aims to enhance export competitiveness of selected sectors in select countries through an integrated approach.

On the list of panellists were:

Hugo Hemmen, CEO Gapstar 

Bram van den Bosch MD, Laboremus 

Reinier van Scherpenzeel, CEO Tunga 

Joseph Walusimbi, National Consultant

Simon Lwanjo CEO, Preg-Tech Communications      

Day Two Panel One

The MedTech panel sought to look into the major players at the heart of MedTech in Uganda. According to the organizers, the two main challenges that are affecting MedTech companies are about the pressure to improve efficiency on one hand and then the reduction of costs on another. All this in an environment when systems, patients and payers were increasingly seeking evidence to justify product value. In addition to this, innovations in payment methods, advances in sensors and digital technologies were creating new opportunities to advance patient care and improve development efficiency but these advancements were being slowed by painfully slow regulatory approval for products and services. The concern was therefore to see what government was doing to bridge the gap between software and hardware. On the panel were:

Jean Marc Kaboha - PregCare  
Davis Musinguzi - TMCG  
Brian Gitta – Matibabu 
Dr. Prosper Ahimbisibwe - mSCAN   

The Second Session of the First Day was about The Internet of Things, Drones and Big Data as technologies that were powering smart cities of the future. Once again on the local front there were a few positives such as the creation of a committee to spearhead the 4th Industrial Revolution in Uganda. The questions that were posed to the panellists were about the use of new technologies for better security, smarter cities, better transport and logistics as well as the adoption of clean energy. 

Panellists were:

Doreen Agaba  - 4IR Task team 

Martin Bbale - Wazi Hub 

Alice Namuli - Lawyer 

Agnes Kahwa - KCCA

The Third panel was an EdTech Panel and sought to find links between skills gaps and the introduction of STEAM Education. 

The panellists were made up of a diverse group with a combination of very rich skill sets. Mobile Education was well represented by Gilbert Arinda of Nile Explorer an initiative of the U.S embassy that takes the services that are designed for the traditional classroom to areas that are less accessible. Mr. Nyitegeka of refactory with his vast experience in several teaching and training institutions brought to the table interesting ideas about how learning can be transformed from the traditional to the less traditional. As can be expected it would have proved valuable to hear from a publisher to see what changes were taking place with an industry in an age of rapid growth.

The Panellists were: 

Michael Niyitegeka - Re-factory 

Joshua Ocero - Andela 

Gilbert Arinda - Nile Explorer  

Fabrice Musoni (UNICEF) - Kolibri 

Anne Salim - Longhorn Publishers 

Moderator – Raymond Mujuni