Technology Development Centre

Technology development and transfer are core activities at Uganda Industrial Research Institute. The Technology Development Centre was established at UIRI by a 2005 Presidential Directive to create a Government Science Unit and became operational in October 2006.

The Centre supports technology transfer through resource identification for value addition, technology assessment and sourcing, skills training, machinery and equipment acquisition, trial production, adaptation and replication, and public dissemination for commercial application.

Technology development at the Centre has involved the fabrication of machinery and equipment for end-users to address specific needs.

The Centre's long-term direction includes advancing toward more complex machinery fabrication as foundry technology and related technical capabilities are strengthened at the Institute.

TDC projects and activities are implemented through its operational divisions.

In line with its technology development and transfer mission, TDC continues to promote innovative, affordable and appropriate technologies across industrial and technical fields.

A foundry is a facility where metals are melted and cast into molds, then allowed to solidify into castings. Foundry technology can support the production of geometrically complex components that are difficult to produce through conventional metal forming or machining processes.

The proposed foundry is intended to give the Engineering Division capacity to build complete and complex machines, produce machine parts and spares, and serve as a training centre of excellence for technicians, engineers and artisans.

Mineral beneficiation involves concentrating the mineral content of ores through crushing, grinding and separation into valuable fractions and waste using physico-chemical techniques.

The proposed mineral beneficiation facility would support research into local ores and strengthen capability in mineral processing, ore testing and evaluation, metallurgy, and physical testing.

Many rural and semi-urban homes rely on firewood and kerosene as primary energy sources, creating health and environmental concerns.

The rural energy generation project proposes the design, development, testing and commercialization of a pedal-powered energy generation system. The system would store energy in batteries for later use and includes components such as a motor vehicle alternator, batteries and charge controllers.

Many industries use automated manufacturing technologies to improve efficiency, productivity, safety and reliability, but there remains a skills gap in handling high-end automation technologies.

The industrial automation project proposes capacity for Industrial Automation Solutions for manufacturing, including software-operated automatic systems for routine operation and control of production machinery and processes.

Computer Aided Design and Manufacture technology is widely recognized as a cornerstone of industrial development and is used in reverse engineering, rapid prototyping and mould or die making.

The CAD/CAM Technology Centre is intended to support prototype design, mould and die design and fabrication, industrial training, and demonstration of CAD/CAM capability.