The country has some of the world’s largest reserves of
hard-rock lithium, a vital mineral in the production of clean energy
technologies.
As education 5.0 continues to bear fruits, students are now
being taught to look for solutions inwardly with several innovations being
witnessed under the Second Republic.
While President Mnangagwa was capping 639 students at
Harare Institute of Technology’s 14th graduation ceremony yesterday, HIT Vice
Chancellor Dr Quinton Kanhukamwe said the university has made significant
progress in lithium battery production.
Among the 639 capped, 38,8 percent were females, while 48
students attained first class degree passes.
Dr Kanhukamwe said the university developed lithium
carbonate from 2020 to 2022 however, there was a need to further beneficiate
the battery-grade lithium carbonate to produce lithium phosphate which has
improved chemical characteristics for battery production.
The Vice Chancellor said his team has managed to produce
the required enhanced battery-grade lithium phosphate.
“As a result, your university has been successful in
developing a lithium phosphate 3.2V, 60Ah battery cell, when coupled in either
parallel for more voltage or series for enhanced current, the cells will
produce sufficient power to drive passenger vehicles.
“Our vision is to start commercial production of lithium
batteries for vehicles in 2024,” he said.
Dr Kanhukamwe said the university was churning 639
engineering and technology graduates with a deep sense of mission
accomplishment and equipped with the most refined technopreneurial skills and
gutsy dare devil-mentality.
“They are the embodiment of Heritage-based Education 5.0,
as they are armed with the requisite skills and stamina to set up hi-tech
enterprises. Your Excellency and Chancellor, as to the University’s outlook for
the future, we expect to accelerate and consolidate the execution of the HIT
mandate.
“We will continue to provide a superlative education and
continue to be trailblazers in key research areas of our mandate. We will
reinforce the development of a research enterprise that is pushing outward the
boundaries of knowledge so that we educate talented students at the leading
edge of their fields who can meaningfully contribute to the rapid
industrialization and modernization of this country”
Apart from the lithium battery breakthrough, said Dr
Kanhukamwe, several innovations are being witnessed across all sectors of the
economy including agriculture which is the backbone of the nation.
HIT is working with Kosygin Russian State University and
local sister universities to develop mechanisms for improving cotton output.
Currently, our national output is at a mere 700kg per hectare as compared to
Russia’s and India’s 900kg to 1 100kg per hectare.
“Through our Biotechnology Department, we are currently
seized with cotton seed development and improvement. The envisaged outcomes
will be an increase in income for the farmers and subsequently forex from
exports,” he said.
Dr Kanhukwamwe said other gains to be realised are drops in
cooking oil prices, clothes, and animal feed.
The vice chancellor said while new developments are coming
on board, the university is also enjoying the fruits of already established
innovations.
“The university continues to design and manufacture oil and
dry power distribution transformers at our plant in Chitungwiza. The
transformers are being sold commercially,” he said.
The university, he added, has also launched three spin-off
companies at a time the existing start-up and spin-off are now employing 179
people in their entities.
Among them InstiBio, a spin-off from the department of
Biotechnology that brings industrial biotechnology, medical biotechnology and
advanced mushroom technologies to the nation to improve food security through
agriculture and horticultural solutions, as well as the health sector through
medications.
The other company is InstiRad, a spin-off from the
department of Radiography, specialising in bringing up accessible and
affordable radiography services to disadvantaged and under-resourced
communities in Zimbabwe.
HIT is also currently working with Norton Town Council and
Norton Hospital in availing various ultrasound services, therefore working
towards uplifting and boosting health service provision.
Dr Kanhukamwe said the third company is InstiQuip, a
spin-off of their school of Engineering and Technology section, which provides
machine design expertise, mould design and technology expertise and CAD &
CIM technologies for the reverse engineering of advanced machine technologies.
He said this is increasing the viability of import
substitution and the development of equipment suited and maintainable for
Zimbabwean circumstances.
Dr Kanhukamwe said HIT’s research collaborations have
increased significantly through partnership with Chinese, Russian, American,
Indonesian and Belarussian universities to improve the quality of research and
innovation outputs.
“Your university is part of the Russia-Africa University
network where we have secured over six partnerships and we are currently
carrying out close to fifteen research activities in the fields of machine
design, mechatronics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and electronics.
“We have also established a training collaboration with
Rwanda’s Ministry of Health where we have enrolled students in the School of
Allied Health Sciences Radiography and Ultrasound degree programmes,” he said. Herald
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