Applied Research and Development & Foresight Incubation is a NIRDA department that provides a Creative and collaborative environment for world-class lab and niche testing services to private industrial entities, young innovators and academia to promote industrial research and product development for future industries. It provides a stage for young innovators in STEM and life sciences sector for development and conversion of ideas into marketable products and services. The department also collaborate with existing academic institutions and private sector in joint research activities.

NIRDA Life Sciences Laboratory provides a collaborative environment for young innovators, researchers and industries operating in life sciences fields including plant and animal health, food processing, microbiology and biotechnology.

STEM for Industry hub provides an eco-system for product development, commercialization of needs-based technology solutions for the next generation of Rwandan product developers. The focus areas include Energetics, Mechatronics, and Industrial software systems with a focus on data analytics.

NIRDA life sciences laboratory services

Product development services:

NIRDA Life Sciences laboratory provides and facilitates high quality product development services for industrial innovators and researchers. The facility is currently focusing on providing services in two areas that are food processing and pharmaceutical product development as elucidated below:

• Food formulation/food product development in fruits and vegetables, cereals, dairy, beverages and food additives.
• Pharmaceutical product development in cosmetics (lotions, soaps), herbal drugs, pesticide and repellents.                                   .

Laboratory testing services:

The facilities offer opportunity to lab users to improve quality newly developed products through quality control/testing services. The testing services are provided in the areas of food and pharmaceuticals. Food testing services include physical, chemical and microbiological analysis of food products and as well as Food sensory analysis including consumer/market perception and acceptance of food products. Pharmaceutical testing services includes phytochemical screening of herbal medicine, microbiology testing of drugs and qualitative and quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical products.

Technology incubation and mentoring services:

Supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups by: 

• renting workspace
• Offering mentorship
• business support services
•  Matchmaking innovators with entrepreneurs.

Collaborating with academia through applied research activities in life sciences:

• Collaborate with academic and other research institutions to provide the required skills sets essential for the development of new ideas and products and engage in joint research with private sector.

STEM for Industry hub services:

STEM for Industry offers an Incubation program, Co-development of Products and technologies, and technology meetups to support innovations in areas of emerging technology - smart hardware, additive manufacturing and 3D printing, Machine learning, and AI, robotics