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THE Mutoko Bioeconomy Industrial Park will be commissioned on Thursday, with Government describing the facility as a major step towards converting university research into commercial enterprises that create jobs, strengthen rural industries and accelerate Zimbabwe’s drive towards an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
In a statement ahead of the launch, Permanent Secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Professor Fanuel Tagwira said the industrial park in Mashonaland East Province represented a new phase in the country’s innovation-led industrialisation agenda.
“The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development through its knowledge entity, Finealt Engineering, is honoured to announce that His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, will officially commission the Mutoko Bioeconomy Industrial Park in Mutoko, Mashonaland East Province, on Thursday, 9 July 2026,” Professor Tagwira said.
According to the ministry, the project is designed to advance industrialisation through science, innovation and the commercialisation of locally developed technologies.
“This landmark event marks yet another milestone in Zimbabwe’s journey towards becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2030 through innovation, science, technology and industrialisation,” he said.
The ministry said the facility would convert research findings and indigenous knowledge into commercially viable businesses capable of improving livelihoods while creating employment opportunities in rural communities.
“The commissioning of the Mutoko Bioeconomy Industrial Park demonstrates Government’s unwavering commitment to translating research, innovation and indigenous knowledge into commercially viable enterprises that improve livelihoods, create employment opportunities and accelerate rural industrialisation,” he added.
The industrial park will be operated by Finealt Engineering, a company established from research conducted by Zimbabwe’s universities and polytechnic institutions to transform academic research into practical industrial solutions.
“Finealt Engineering was established following extensive research and development initiatives undertaken by Zimbabwe’s universities and polytechnic institutions to transform research outputs into practical industrial solutions that directly benefit communities,” Professor Tagwira said.
The company will produce bioeconomy goods and services using locally available biological resources in line with the Education 5.0 and Heritage-Based Education 5.0 models, which integrate teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation.
Among its core functions, Finealt Engineering will establish rural bioeconomy industrial parks across the country, produce sustainable bioeconomy products, develop feedstock and livestock estates, purchase raw materials from local outgrowers, conduct research into bioeconomy technologies and train apprentices from rural districts in practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
The ministry said the Mutoko Bioeconomy Industrial Park would demonstrate how higher and tertiary education institutions could contribute directly to economic development.
“The Bioeconomy Industrial Park represents a practical demonstration of how research conducted within Zimbabwe’s institutions of higher and tertiary education can be transformed into industries that generate wealth, promote food security, create jobs and stimulate inclusive economic growth,” he said.
It added that the facility would promote value addition and beneficiation of local biological resources, reducing dependence on imports while strengthening domestic production and improving Zimbabwe’s competitiveness in regional and international markets.
The ministry expects the project to create new opportunities for communities through higher agricultural productivity, enterprise development, technology transfer, skills development and sustainable environmental management.
“The commissioning of this strategic facility is expected to unlock new opportunities for local communities through increased agricultural productivity, enterprise development, technology transfer, skills development and sustainable environmental management,” Professor Tagwira said.
Professor Tagwira said the ministry would continue supporting innovation-driven industries that deliver practical solutions to national development challenges.
“As a Ministry, we remain committed to building innovation-driven industries that empower communities and contribute meaningfully to national economic transformation. The Mutoko Bioeconomy Industrial Park stands as a testament to the power of collaboration between Government, academia, industry and local communities in delivering practical solutions to national development challenges.”
