Slumber Tsogwane (2nd R, front), the acting president of Botswana, cuts the ribbon to officially open a drone assembly and testing center in Palapye, about 272 kilometers northeast of Gaborone, Botswana, on March 27, 2024. Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) has launched a drone assembly and testing center. (Photo by Metlha Ngubevana/Xinhua)
GABORONE, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) has launched a drone assembly and testing center.
The BIUST, located in Palapye, about 272 km northeast of Gaborone, the Botswanan capital, set up the center in collaboration with Mileage Group, a Gaborone-based technology and investment firm.
"The establishment of this center has come at the very right time, and I hold a strong opinion that it will go a long way in igniting a revolution of our economic and industrial pursuits as a nation," Slumber Tsogwane, the acting president of Botswana, said at a ceremony Wednesday.
He emphasized that by leveraging the latest advancements in drone technology, Botswana is creating an ideal environment for raising economic productivity and sustainability in a variety of sectors of the economy, as well as providing opportunities for students and researchers to participate in cutting-edge research and hands-on learning experiences.
Tsogwane said drone technology is critical to boosting economic development by improving efficiency and enabling real-time, reliable data collection and analysis, and helping people make informed and strategic decisions in such areas as health, transportation, infrastructure development and maintenance, disaster response and emergency services, agriculture, and tourism.
Miles Nan, managing director of Mileage Group, said his company is committed to developing products suited to Botswana's unique landscape and needs, "be it wildlife conservation, the vast mining areas, or the specific characteristics of our shrubland."
By exploring the diverse applications of drones, from managing rural communications to city safety, the center is at the forefront of enhancing operational efficiency and safety at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods, he said. ■
