Title: Industry-University Cluster: The Uganda Gatsby Trust Experience
Authors: Joseph K. Byaruhanga
Keywords: Business Incubation Systems, SMEs, Entrepreneurship, Industrial Development, Least Developed Countries, LDCs, Sub-Saharan Africa
Issue Date: February 2004
Abstract:

This paper gives an insight on to how Uganda Gatsby Trust (UGT) has gone about establishing and implementing cooperation with small scale manufacturing (technology-driven) enterprises in Uganda.

The paper describes how UGT utilizes University resources to assist small- scale enterprises to improve on their levels of technology and thereby enable them to grow. It illustrates the benefits derived by the University from the cooperation in form of publicity, industrial attachments for her students and entrepreneurial skills being learnt by both the students and staff of the Faculty.

Also highlighted is the necessity for an institutional framework to be established to foster continuous interaction between the University and small-scale enterprises and the public sector. In UGT]s case, the institutional framework is called GATSBY ENTERPRISE CLUB. The paper asserts that for the collaboration to be embraced especially by the small-scale enterprises (SSEs) which are always fearful of exploitation, there must be tangible benefits for them. On the other hand, the UGT does not want impose her services on SSEs, so she has insisted on delivering demand- driven services and some payments for them.

On the, third dimension, Governments (Local and Central) have been very supportive of UGT]s work because the Trust is assisting in SME development in Uganda.

The paper shows evidence of the necessity to build mechanisms, which will lead to sustainability of UGT and the Gatsby Clubs so that the cooperation and the ensuing benefits of exchange of knowledge and technology transfer can continue. The paper finally gives the achievements of the collaboration between UGT and small enterprises in form of the, outreach achieved by December 2003, which is quite significant; and affecting the lives of the entrepreneurs in the towns where Gatsby Clubs are found.

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