HARARE, Aug. 14 (NewsDay Live) — The Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) has partnered with Slovakian engineering and automation company SIPRON to strengthen industrial automation, machine design and engineering services as Zimbabwe seeks to modernise its manufacturing sector.
The partnership, formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU), will see the two institutions collaborate in industrial automation, machine design, robotics, production-line technologies and engineering services.
SIPRON, based in Bratislava, operates in engineering, industrial services, technological maintenance and training, and is part of the Siemens group.
SIPRON chief business development officer Borčin Pavol said the company was attracted to HIT by its practical approach to technology development and student training.
“We came to Zimbabwe, to Harare Institute of Technology, because we have information it is a really advanced institute. It is number one here in Zimbabwe and finally we see there is a lot of opportunity for cooperation because we see what we really like — that students work on real products here,” Pavol said.
He said the partnership would expose students and researchers to industrial processes and enable them to translate theoretical knowledge into practical products.
“After the development there are some real products and we would like to be part of this,” he said.
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Under the agreement, HIT and SIPRON will explore the development of assembly and production lines, machine assembly, robotic workstations and automation cells.
The collaboration will also cover pneumatic, hydraulic and lubrication design, software and control systems programming, as well as research, development and innovation.
Pavol said SIPRON could support HIT across the production cycle, from design and automation to staff training and after-sales technical services.
“We are able to design a production line and then deliver some automation stand, or it can be a whole production line, including software, including training staff,” he said.
HIT registrar Herbert Njonga said the partnership was aligned with the institute’s mandate of developing, incubating and transferring technology to support national development.
“SIPRON did engage with us to establish a partnership and obviously for us it’s something that is in line with the mandate of our institution where we are looking at developing, incubating and transferring technology for national development,” Njonga said.
He said SIPRON’s expertise in machine design, robotics, industrial automation and assembly-line technologies could help local industry improve efficiency and adopt modern production systems.
“We find that they have got competences in terms of machine design, robotics, industrial automation and assembly line technologies,” he said.
“As we are looking at resuscitating our industrial base, they provide us with the technologies that we need that leverage on efficiencies and also modernity.”
Njonga said the partnership could also deepen links between Zimbabwean and Slovakian industry, creating opportunities for Slovak companies to engage with HIT’s technology development ecosystem.
HIT has positioned itself beyond the traditional university model, with its mandate encompassing innovation, industrialisation and commercialisation under the Education 5.0 framework.
The institute has increasingly sought partnerships with industry and research institutions to turn academic knowledge into commercially viable technologies and support Zimbabwe’s industrial development.
