Background information of the Directorate
The genesis of Arba Minch University (AMU) Entrepreneurship Development and Technology Incubation Directorate (AMU-EDTID) was in 2011 when department of Management in college of Business and Economics, the then faculty of Business and Economics, launched training on entrepreneurship and job creation to graduate students of the University. The department continued the training at the end of every year in 2012 and 2013 by its own initiative to all graduate students in collaboration with other colleges in the University. In addition to AMU few Universities were providing entrepreneurship to graduating class students at the end of each year. Cognizant of the success, Ministry of Education scaled-up the practice and enjoined all Universities in the country to establish Entrepreneurship Development Centers in 2014 to provide training on Entrepreneurship to graduating students. Hence, AMU-EDC was formally established in 2015 with office name ``Entrepreneurship Development Center (EDC)” to develop entrepreneurial spirit among students and the staff as well as the community at large.
Since then, the directorate has gone through various structural and accountability reforms. At the beginning, the office was accountable to the offices of Vice President for Business Development (BDVP). Following the dissolve of BDVP in 2021, the accountability of EDC was transferred to University-Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer (UIL-TT) Executive Directorate under the umbrella of Vice President for Research and Community Service (VPRCS) until 2025. At the end of 2025, the office was separated from UIL-TT Executive Directorate with a new nomenclature called “Entrepreneurship Development and Technology Incubation Center (EDTIC)” and has become directly accountable to the office of Vice President for Research and Cooperation (VPRC). According to the new structure and responsibility, the directorate hosts three coordination offices: Entrepreneurship and Career Development Coordination Office, Technology and Business Incubation Coordination Office, and Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Coordination Office.
Arba Minch University Entrepreneurship Development and Technology Incubation Directorate (AMU-EDTID) is set up to address entrepreneurship development, career development, business and technology incubation, and technology transfer initiative within and beyond the University. The directorate has three coordination offices: career and entrepreneurship development, business and technology incubation, and technology transfer. In addition, the directorate has its replica in all campus/institutes/colleges. Each coordination office works to achieve the vision and mission of the directorate whereas the coordination offices in campus work to achieve the directorate’s mission and mission as well as their respective college’s visions and missions.
AMU-EDTID is missioned with igniting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship among staffs and students as well as the community, developing career of employees and students while increasing the employability of students, and transferring technologies and knowledge through research commercialization. In addition, the directorate nurtures and empowers start-ups by providing workspace and shared facilities, focused counseling and guidance, training, national and international information, critical tools, networking, resources, and capital along with other business development services.
To put it in nut shell, AMU established Entrepreneurship Development and Technology Incubation Directorate (AMU-EDTID) under the Office of the Vice President for Research and Cooperation in an effort to play a vital role in the development of entrepreneurship and career, business and technology incubation, and technology transfer. Moreover, AMU-EDTID works in collaboration with various stakeholders to create a vibrant private and public sectors, prosperous and inclusive economy by transferring technology and knowledge, and commercializing research outputs. In addition, AMU-EDTID provides an integrated set of services to empower students and staffs as well as the community to pursue their career path to entrepreneurship which in effect fosters local, regional and national economic growth and development.
Vision of the Directorate
AMU-EDIC yearns to become one of the first three leading University based entrepreneurship and career development, technology and business incubation, technology transfer, research commercialization directorates in Ethiopia by 2030.
Motto of the Directorate: Ignite, Empower and Transform!
Mission of the Directorate
The purpose of AMUU-EDTID is to develop entrepreneurship and career of students and employees, incubate business and technology students and employees, transfer technology and knowledge created by students and employees through research commercialization to the community.
Values of the Directorate
F Continuous Learning and Innovation (ሁለም መማር እና መፍጠር)
F Collaboration for Co-creation (ለጋራ ፈጠራ መተባበር)
F Quality and agility (ጥራት እና ቅልጥፍና)
F Respect for People and Work (ለሰው እና ለስራ ክብር መስጠት)
F Unity and Tolerance (አንድነት እና መቻቻል)
F Integrity and Confidentiality (ታማኝነት እና ምስጢር ጠባቂነት)
F Legality and Ethicality (ህጋዊነት እና ግብረ-ገብነት)
F Transparency and Accountability (ግልፀኝነት እና ተጠያቂነት)
Main activities of the Directorate
· Facilitate and provide training and counseling on entrepreneurial competencies to students, academic and administration staffs of AMU as well as the community in the catchment area of the University.
· Facilitate and catalyze inter-disciplinary creativity, invention, and innovations among students and staffs of various programs and departments
· Develop career competencies of students, academic and administration staffs, of AMU as well as the community in the catchment area of the University
· Increase the employability of undergraduate and postgraduate students of AMU by developing the career competencies.
· Connect employers and investors with graduates based on their entrepreneurial and career competencies.
· Conduct various studies on entrepreneurship and career competency development, incubation, technology transfer, research commercialization, and their ecosystems.
· Incubate creative, inventive, and innovative students, academic and administration staffs of AMU as well as the community in the catchment areas of the University.
· Transfer knowledge and technologies developed or adopted and/or adapted by Arba Minch University to the community and the entire nation.
· Consult and facilitate intellectual property registration and ethical exploitation of the intellectual property right.
· Consult and facilitate research commercialization and ethical exploitation of the research outputs.
· Empower youth, women and disadvantaged groups with specialized entrepreneurial competencies, career competencies, and specialized skills such as digital skills in Arba Minch University and its catchment areas.
· Prioritize and support the emergence of high potential start-ups and new firms that can achieve significant progress in employment, sales and exports.
· Provide business development services and produce successful firms that will leave the incubation program financially viable and freestanding ventures and spin-offs.
· Spearhead organizational change via public entrepreneurship and acculturalization of entrepreneurship and system thinking across the AMU and its catchment areas.
· Generate revenue and fetch various resources from its main activities and enable AMU in its effort to generate revenue and raise resources.
· Contribute its part in making AMU an autonomy institution as per the direction of the Ministry of Education.
Contact Address
Name፡ Abiot Tsegaye Kibret(PhD)
Email:
Mobile: +251911943441
