Strengthening the Future of Rwanda’s STIC Ecosystem: Key Insights from the National Roundtable

On February 5, 2025, key stakeholders from across Rwanda’s government, private sector, education, and civil society gathered at the National Roundtable on the Sustainability of Service, Training, and Innovation Centres (STICs). The event marked a significant moment in Rwanda’s journey toward self-sustaining agricultural innovation.

As participants settled in, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Rwanda Polytechnic, Dr. Ephraim Musonera, opened the event with a powerful message about the role of STICs in Rwanda’s economic transformation. He spoke about the importance of skill development and entrepreneurship, emphasizing that STICs must continue to evolve beyond training centres into fully functional innovation ecosystems.

"At Rwanda Polytechnic, we see STICs as more than just training facilities—they are engines for job creation, innovation, and business development," he stated. "We must ensure that the knowledge and skills developed here translate into real economic opportunities, empowering Rwandans to take charge of their own futures."

Dr. Ephraim Musonera also stressed that for STICs to thrive, private sector engagement must be strengthened. Businesses must see STICs as valuable partners, providing access to skilled graduates, research, and technological innovations that can drive productivity in Rwanda’s key agricultural sectors.

His remarks set the stage for Dutch Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Rwanda, Pieter Copper, who built upon the theme of collaboration and local ownership in his speech.

"The STIC model has already proven to be a powerful force for knowledge transfer, skills development, and economic growth," he said. "But its long-term success depends on local ownership. Rwanda has all the ingredients needed to take the STICs to the next level, and the Netherlands is proud to stand by as a partner—not as a driver, but as a supporter in this journey."

The Deputy Ambassador underscored the importance of collaboration through the diamond approach, which brings together government, academia, businesses, and civil society. He stressed that working together is the only way to achieve real impact.

A call for local ownership
Throughout the day, a central theme emerged: Rwanda must be the driver of the STICs’ future. While international partners such as the Netherlands have played a crucial role in financing and shaping the initiative, the consensus among participants was that true sustainability will only be achieved when STICs are fully integrated into national policies and economic frameworks.

The STICs have already provided practical training for thousands of students, farmers, and entrepreneurs, bridging the gap between education, business, and research. However, for these centres to continue thriving, the private sector must be more actively involved, ensuring that training programs align with real market needs and that graduates have clear pathways into employment and entrepreneurship.

The power of collaboration
Discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening multi-sectoral partnerships. The diamond approach—bringing together public institutions, businesses, academia, and civil society—was seen as the key to scaling up the STIC model and creating a thriving innovation ecosystem.

Despite successes, challenges remain. While larger companies often run their own training programs, small enterprises struggle with financial constraints, making it difficult for them to engage with STICs. Medium-sized businesses emerged as the most promising partners, offering the right balance of industry experience and willingness to invest in skills development.

Another major discussion point was financial sustainability. Without stable funding, the STICs risk becoming unsustainable once donor support ends. Many participants stressed the need to attract private investment and financial institutions by developing strong business cases that demonstrate the economic value of the STICs.

Empowering the next generation
A key theme throughout the roundtable was youth empowerment and entrepreneurship. While the STICs have trained thousands of young people, the transition from training to business creation remains a challenge.

As the roundtable drew to a close, the participants looked ahead and laid out a clear roadmap for ensuring the STIC model continues to evolve and expand. Among the key action points were:

• Expanding public-private partnerships to increase investment in STICs.
• Enhancing research capacity by fostering stronger university-industry collaboration.
• Engaging civil society and NGOs to improve outreach and community impact.
• Advocating for policy recognition at the ministerial level to secure institutional support.
• Developing sustainable business models to attract financial backing.
• Improving marketing and communication to increase private-sector engagement.
• Strengthening youth and entrepreneurship programs to enhance job creation in the agricultural sector.

To conclude, the National Roundtable on the sustainability of the STICs was more than just a discussion—it was a commitment to ensuring that the STICs become permanent pillars of Rwanda’s agricultural and vocational training landscape.

As Deputy Ambassador Pieter Copper stated, “The power of the STICs lies in their ability to bring people together—farmers, students, businesses, and policymakers—to co-create solutions that drive real change.”

By fostering innovation, strengthening collaboration, and investing in young entrepreneurs, Rwanda is taking a bold step toward building a more resilient and self-sufficient future. The challenge now is not just to sustain STICs but to expand and integrate them into the broader economy, creating new opportunities for farmers, students, and businesses alike.

About the project
This National Roundtable event on the sustainability of the STICs was a follow-up activity of the Nuffic SEAD, SEAD West and TMT+ projects in Rwanda, which have played a transformative role in advancing the agricultural sector by establishing and nurturing Service, Training, and Innovation Centres (STICs) across key value chains, including dairy, potato, poultry, horticulture, and agri-tourism. These STICs have not only provided critical training and services but have also fostered innovation and created vital linkages between research institutions, educational entities, and the private sector. As a result, these projects have significantly enhanced the capacity of Rwandan institutions to address local challenges, improve productivity, and contribute to sustainable economic development.

MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies

This project is part of MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies. The department is an expert centre on sustainable private sector development in emerging and developing markets.​ We capacitate managers and professionals from government, private sector, NGOs, and post-secondary education in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. We offer consultancy and customized training programs, and we manage complex projects in key sectors, e.g. water, agriculture and health. For more information click here.

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