ARUSHA: THE TANZANIA Engineering and Manufacturing Design Organisation (TEMDO) has said that integrating biotechnology into its work could significantly enhance its capabilities and bring broader economic and societal benefits.
In a recent interview, TEMDO’s Director General, Prof Frederick Kahimba, explained that biotechnology, including bioprocess engineering, involves using biological agents like enzymes or microorganisms to produce industrial goods.
“While TEMDO primarily focuses on traditional engineering and manufacturing, we believe that integrating biotechnology could greatly expand our capabilities and lead to broader benefits for the economy and society,” he said.
He shared that TEMDO recently collaborated with Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) to research and design a microbial bioreactor for enzyme production, which will be used in clinical research.
Another area of focus is biomedical engineering, where TEMDO has developed medical devices that improve healthcare delivery.
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The organisation has been certified to develop about 15 types of medical equipment, including delivery beds, examination beds, drip stands, mortuary cabinets, bedside lockers and regular hospital beds.
“These technologies have been provided to over 40 healthcare institutions, including referral hospitals, general hospitals and health centres across Tanzania,” Prof Kahimba noted, adding that the mortuary cooling cabinet is a technology that is rarely made in Tanzania, except at TEMDO.
TEMDO has also innovated in agricultural biotechnology, particularly in areas like crop improvement and the production of biofuels.
For instance, the organisation has developed machines that can process solid biofuels, such as biomass and coal briquettes, offering an alternative to natural wood fuels.
“To further expand our capabilities, TEMDO is eager to engage in biotechnology research for commercial manufacturing. We are open to collaborating with biotech firms, universities or research institutes with expertise in this field,” Prof Kahimba said.
The focus would be on developing scalable and sustainable biotechnological solutions that enhance product quality, reduce costs or improve manufacturing efficiency.