ICT students tipped on tech-driven solutions to tackle real-world challenges

ICT students have been encouraged to harness innovation to identify and solve pressing societal challenges.

The call was made during the recently concluded Innovation Bootcamp and Pitch Event 2025, organized by the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT).

The four-day event, held from May 15 to 18 at the National ICT Hub in Nakawa, aimed to empower students with the skills needed to transform academic projects into practical and commercially viable solutions.

During the bootcamp, participants, grouped into 21 shortlisted teams selected from an original pool of 81, underwent training in design thinking, prototyping, pitching, industry collaboration, and investment readiness.

Speaking to the media, Gastervas Rutwara, UICT’s Research and Innovations Coordinator, noted that the bootcamp seeks to shift students away from viewing their projects solely through an academic lens.

"Our students would do projects, first year, second year. At the end of it all, they get marks, and then they go away and then the projects would basically stop there. And yet these are young people who have innovative ideas, and they would indeed solve real problems," Rutwara said.

He added, "We are now saying no. How do we convert these projects instead of just remaining academic? We’re selecting the innovative ones and aligning them with industry to take them systematically toward commercialisation."

The event was supported by key partners including Lweera Electronics, NITA-U, RENU, among others, all working toward the shared goal of guiding student innovations toward real-world impact.

Edson Nkurunungi, Head of ICT and Engineering at UICT, stressed the need to move student work from ideation to real solutions.

"We organized this four day boot camp purposely, to, to see how to move our students' projects from ideation because most of the time with the projects we have had for students, they have stopped at just presentation for academic work, and it has not been pushed forward for commercialisation," he said.

"We want to transform these student ideas into minimum viable products that solve real community problems including in health, agriculture, climate change. These solutions can uplift communities and sustain the livelihoods of the students themselves," Nkurunungi added.

Several student-led innovations focused on critical sectors such as public health, service delivery, and employment.

Mary Adikin, a member of the team behind the Gym Appointment Scheduling App, explained the thinking behind their innovation.

"We developed a smart gym scheduling app because people don’t work out due to time constraints or overcrowded gyms. Our app lets users book professional trainers, track health in real time, and even access virtual sessions from anywhere."

George Nakisisa, co-creator of the Click to Assist handyman service app, highlighted how their solution targets unemployment among skilled youth.

He noted that their platform enables professionals such as electricians, plumbers, and mechanics to connect with customers easily.

"Many vocational graduates don’t find work despite having skills. Our app connects electricians, plumbers, and mechanics to customers at the tap of a button. It solves unemployment and also builds customer trust. It’s ready for market. We just need funding now," he said.

According to Rutwara, UICT is committed to helping the top teams advance their innovations through seed funding and industry partnerships, aiming to bring their ideas to full commercialisation.

The bootcamp concluded with a pitch competition, judged by a panel of experts from both academia and the tech industry.

During the awards ceremony held on Sunday, the following standout innovations were recognised:

Winner: RFID Book Detecting System

1st Runner-up: AI Tool for Hypertension Diagnosis & Treatment

2nd Runner-up: Facial Detection Car Security System

Notable Finalist: NdiMukozi – AI-Powered Handyman Service App

5th Place (Tie):

* CampusBite – Student-Exclusive Food Delivery App

* Gym Appointment Scheduling App.