Research and development encompasses the initiatives undertaken by companies to innovate and introduce new products and services, or enhance their existing offerings. It's a range of processes and activities geared towards acquiring fresh insights, creating new products or services and refining existing ones.

The process typically entails the generation and cultivation of ideas. R&D also involves various activities aimed at thinking about user requirements and how these ideas fit with users’ needs. Extensive work in R&D is done to design and develop products or services and then finally quality assurance and testing of the product or service is carried out. 

At its basic level, the purpose of research and development is thinking about how you can generate more useful ideas, or more products and services, that serve the users’ needs or your customers’ needs in a better and more fulfilling way. 

In Zimbabwe, the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) was established in February 1993. Its mandate is to conduct strategic research and development for the advancement of the manufacturing, service, and agricultural sectors, as well as to facilitate the practical application of research outputs.

The SIRDC houses several institutes that specialise in various fields, including:

1. Biotechnology Research Institute

2. Environmental Science Institute

3. Energy Technology Institute

4. Food and Biomedical Technology Institute

Each of these institutes is dedicated to advancing research and development in their respective areas of expertise. Entrepreneurs can capitalise on these institutions and collaborate or leverage their capacity to boost effectiveness, competitiveness, profitability and market expansion opportunities.

For more information, reach out to SIRDC offices at:

1574 Alpes Road, Hatcliffe, Harare
TEL: +263 867 009 663 or +263 867 700 906