Findings of a new United Nations (UN) assessment indicate that Malawi can accelerate industrialisation in line with the long-term development strategy Malawi 2063 (MW2063) if it enhances manufacturing and assembly of products locally.
The UN Malawi Technology Needs Assessment 2026 launched in Lilongwe on Wednesday cites products such as fertiliser, solar systems, hydro equipment, computer hardware and digital infrastructure that could be manufactured and assembled locally as part of a wider drive to enhance industrialisation.
assessment need to be linked.
The assessment indicates that technology, local production and innovation should anchor the country’s economic transformation agenda under MW2063, which targets to transition Malawi into a lower middle income economy by 2030 and an upper middle income economy by 2063.
In his remarks during the launch of the assessment, UN Technology Bank managing director Deodat Maharaj said the assessment was designed to help government identify priority technologies, guide investment decisions and support negotiations on technology transfer and foreign direct investment.
“The technologies identified in this assessment need to be linked, sequenced and implemented as part of coherent sectoral and cross-sectoral strategies,” he said.
Maharaj said the assessment positions science, technology and innovation as key to MW2063.
United Nations resident coordinator ad interim Hyoung Joon Lim cautioned that implementation, not planning alone, would determine whether the strategy delivers meaningful transformation.
“We really hope this could be the roadmap for transformation,” he said, stressing the need for stronger coordination between government, private sector, researchers and development partners.
Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology Francis Foley said the assessment will help Malawi to identify technologies aligned with development priorities and structural transformation goals.
“The assessment gives Malawi an opportunity to prioritise technologies that can support structural transformation and industrial growth,” he said.
The assessment acknowledges that Malawi’s innovation ecosystem remains weak, citing low tertiary enrolment, poor links between academia and industry, limited research funding, weak science technology and innovation coordination and a difficult macroeconomic environment marked by inflation, fiscal constraints and restricted access to finance.
Agriculture and mining are identified as priority sectors while information and communications technology and energy are positioned as enabling infrastructure.
In agriculture, the assessment recommends precision farming, irrigation systems, digital farm management tools and local production of inputs such as fertiliser and seeds to improve productivity and food security.
In mining, it suggests leveraging rutile, graphite, uranium and rare earth elements to boost exports.
On the other hand, on information and communications technology, the assessment calls for local software development, domestic data management systems and eventual assembly of computer hardware while in energy, it advocates expanding electricity access through solar systems, mini-grids and smart-grid technologies.
The assessment has recommended stronger cross-government coordination, increased investment in research and innovation.
