Innovation Week targets practical solutions for Dira 2050
DAR ES SALAAM: GOVERNMENT and development partners have called for stronger collaboration to turn innovation, research and technology into practical solutions to accelerate implementation of Development Vision 2050 (Dira 2050), as Innovation Week Tanzania 2026 (IWTz2026) gets underway.
The annual innovation platform has been officially launched and will take place from August 31 to September 4 at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam under the theme, “From Aspirations to Transformation: Innovating Tanzania’s Path to Inclusive Prosperity.”
Speaking at the launch over the weekend, UNDP Tanzania Resident Representative Shigeki Komatsubara said innovation is key to translating the country’s development ambitions into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“A trillion-dollar economy is an ambition not to be taken lightly,” he said, stressing the need to ensure development aspirations deliver measurable results for citizens.
He said innovation should not be limited to new technologies or products, but should focus on better ways of solving development challenges, improving public services, creating jobs and boosting productivity.
Komatsubara urged stakeholders to move beyond ideas and pilot projects to scalable solutions that deliver real impact.
Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office–Planning and Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission, Dr Tausi Kida, said the timing of Innovation Week is crucial as the country begins implementing Dira 2050.
She said innovation, research, technology and investment will play a central role in transforming the long-term vision into practical outcomes that improve people’s lives and create value.
Dr Kida noted that Dira 2050 prioritises research and development, emerging technologies, STEM, innovation ecosystems and innovation driven enterprises, adding that the government will continue linking innovation to national development priorities.
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According to organisers, Tanzania’s innovation ecosystem has grown significantly over the past decade, driven by expansion in entrepreneurship, digital technologies and youth led enterprises.
Since its establishment in 2015, Innovation Week Tanzania has evolved into a key multi-stakeholder platform bringing together government institutions, development partners, academia, investors, private sector players and innovators.
Komatsubara said the platform connects ideas with institutions, research with policy and innovators with markets, enabling partnerships that produce practical solutions.
IWTz2026 will feature policy dialogue, innovation showcases, networking and investment opportunities, while linking emerging ideas, technologies and research with national development priorities.
Organisers said the 12th edition aims to strengthen participation, promote commercialisation and support scaling of Tanzanian innovations, while the launch has opened registration for stakeholders ahead of the five-day event.
