BULAWAYO, OCT 11, (SOUTHERN EYE LIVE): THE City of Bulawayo is seeking to strengthen collaboration between government, industry and academia to address its economic and governance challenges through research and innovation.
This emerged at the three-day Bulawayo Economic Development Conference and City of Bulawayo Research and Innovation Seminar (BEDCON-COBRIS 2026), which ran from Wednesday to Friday last week.
Held under the theme, “The Implementation Imperative: Delivering Sustainable Prosperity Through Collaborative Industry,” the conference brought together policymakers, industry players, municipal staff and academics to explore practical solutions to challenges affecting the city's development.
The conference focused on six thematic areas, including governance, policy and ease of doing business; entrepreneurship, small and medium enterprises growth and access to finance; and economic devolution and multi-sector collaboration.
Other areas of discussion were infrastructure and workspace security; innovation and intellectual property; and sustainable industry, market access and global competitiveness.
The local authority said the conference sought to strengthen public-private partnerships and promote collaborative approaches to addressing governance-related challenges.
"The initiative forms part of the city's efforts to leverage research, innovation and knowledge in developing solutions to local economic challenges," council said in its feedback to stakeholders.
"Through engagement between policymakers, researchers and the private sector, the city aims to promote inclusive economic development and sustainable prosperity."
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The conference also underscored the importance of positioning the City of Bulawayo as a knowledge-driven municipality, where research and evidence inform policymaking, planning and service delivery.
