The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to driving digital innovation and youth empowerment by playing a key role in the just-concluded Innovation Bootcamp & Pitch 2025, organized by the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) in partnership with the National ICT Innovation Hub.
Held from May 15 to 18 at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, the four-day bootcamp focused on transforming final-year student projects into market-ready solutions.
Under the theme “Transforming Student Projects into Minimum Viable Products & Services enroute to Commercialisation,” the initiative attracted students, government officials, private sector players, and academic institutions united in their mission to foster innovation aligned with Uganda’s socio-economic goals.
As a key partner, UCC played a pivotal role in supporting the bootcamp through technical mentorship, innovation infrastructure, and policy guidance.
The Commission’s involvement underscores its ongoing strategy to nurture local ICT talent and bridge the gap between academic research and real-world solutions.
“The support from UCC and our other partners was critical to the success of this bootcamp,” said Mr. Gastervas Rutwara Mugume, Head of the Research and Innovations Unit at UICT.
“We’re now seeing student innovations being taken seriously, not just as academic exercises, but as scalable, investable ideas that can address national challenges.”
Students participated in intensive training sessions covering design thinking, prototyping, business modelling, intellectual property rights, and startup financing.
The bootcamp culminated in a pitch event where top student innovators showcased their projects before a panel of judges comprising investors, industry experts, and government representatives.
UCC’s involvement is part of its broader mandate to promote ICT development across Uganda.
Through initiatives like this, the Commission is helping to strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem, in line with the goals of Uganda Vision 2040 and the Digital Transformation Roadmap 2023/24–2027/28.
Other partners included the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U), Lwera Electronics & Semi-Conductors Ltd, RENU, Innovation Village, and the Centre for Innovations and Technology Transfer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
UICT has identified at least 10 standout projects from the bootcamp for continued mentorship and potential incubation, marking a tangible step toward turning student ideas into impactful enterprises.
