The D-8 NPRI Motivation

The idea behind the establishment of the D-8NPRI is to bring D-8 Member States researchers, government and semi-government research institutes, industrial research institutes and research in D-8 universities under one umbrella. Through this network, D-8 will expand the level of innovation in the D-8 Member States to enable the economic growth  essential for sustainable development in D-8 region, identifying research and development capabilities and exchange the research results with industries in Member States, extend the lab facilities to the Member States researchers and students, conducting joint research projects on industrial areas, and research fellow exchange programme among universities in D-8 Member States and D-8 International University. Hence, the NPRI is an open concept that will penetrate the “Hard Shell” of Member States’ borders on research and development and thus benefit all.

The D-8 Organization is a private sector based intergovernmental organization. Therefore, it has to create a favourable atmosphere and suitable climate that will engender growth and development in science, technology and innovation amongst its Member States. This will be done by bringing professionals- economists, scientists, inventors, intellectuals and entrepreneurs together with a view to supplying views, ideas and innovations and transforming heuristic research outcomes into end products. In other words, the universities under this network would be drivers of innovation and economic growth and development through the conduct of research and development in relevant fields of human endevours.

Even though the D-8 has established a Research Centre as well as the D-8 Technology Transfer and Exchange Network (D-8 TTEN), not many companies make full use of them. We therefore need a special mechanism and platform in order to encourage Member-States to accord the deserved priority and focus to research and development so as to pave way for rapid indigenous technological advancement as well as entrepreneurship and business development.

To this end, the D-8 will encourage Member-States to increase their national statutory allocations to research and development. In the same vein, it will engage universities and encourage them to tremendously build their capacities in science and technology where they do not exist and where they do exist, to improve them significantly. By doing this, the universities will also address the problem of talent shortage that is bedeviling the D-8 Member-States.

Purposes and Objectives

Through this platform, the universities under the network will have a vibrant association with a befitting secretariat and they will take turn to arrange seminars, workshop, studies as well as other programmes on technology and innovation. They can also have an exchange programme and also share global best practices among themselves. They can also have a pool and engage with the private sector as well as the proposed D-8 industrial park. They can decide on what best to come up with so as to specialize and benefit one another and the society e.g. medical, biological, chemical, mechanical, etc. They can also collaborate with top ranked universities around the world. In this way, the universities will easily get accreditation, recognition and good ranking and thus emerge as high-quality institutions and key sources of greatness for the D-8 Member-States.

In the light of the foregoing, the D-8 NPRI will undertake the following activities:

• Expanding the level of innovation in D-8 Member States
• Identifying Research and Development capabilities of the D-8 Member States
• Conducting several research and study projects
• Conducting joint research projects in industrial and technical areas that can facilitate development of the D-8 Member States
• Strengthening the linkage among universities, research institutions, industry-related organizations and training institutes to develop collaborative research on common challenges and devise strategic discourse
• Helping the industries and SMEs in Member States by providing research results and technology to overcome the challenges and problems that they are facing
• Developing innovative technologies for the industries and SMEs
• Promoting collaboration and establishment of Joint Ventures (JVs) with leading companies on technical and other materials;
• Promoting new technologies among SMEs in Member States
• Initiating Research Fellow exchange programme among universities in D-8 Member States

How to Apply

Universities from D-8 Member States should apply to Ministry of Higher Education in their respective country who will then forward the application to the Secretariat through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.