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BOTSWANA TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

Address:
Botswana Technology Centre
P/Bag 0082
Gaborone, Botswana

In 1979, the Botswana Technology Centre (BTC) was founded as a non profit organisation. Its goals are to assist the people of Botswana in choosing technological solution to daily problems and long term challenges using resources and knowledge which are readily available: and to evaluate and adapt foreign technology in order to meet specific needs and challenges faced by Botswana today.

What does the Botswana Technology Centre do?

The Technology Centre works to serve and coordinate all technology endeavours within Botswana to accomplish the following goals:

- to operate the Botswana Technical Information Service (BTIS), as a body which actively collects and disseminates technical information;

- to evaluate the potential of technologies that can be adapted to local, and especially tura, conditions;

- to promote technologies which will help achieve the development objectives of the Government of Botswana and;

- to assist in the application of these technologies.
In order to achieve these goals, BTC:

- establishes and maintains communication with information and technology institutions both inside and outside Botswana;

- monitors and evaluates alternative technologies;

- discusses the applications of technologies with individuals and institutions, at seminars, through technical papers and through other media;

- assists Government ministries, parastatals and the private sector in identifying opportunities for the application fo technical solutions; and

- establishes, where necessary, pilot projects which may include the setting up of production facilities and the training of local staff.

Botswana Technical Information Service (BTIS)

BTIS operates a technical library and actively collects and disseminates technical information to institutions and individuals. It participates in local information and library committees and also participates in world-wide information networks e. 9. SATIS. Currently BTIS produces a quarterly technical paper series which is distributed country-wide. In the future BTIS hopes to expand its use of the media to include radio programmes and newsletters.

The library is a free lending institution, so if you need any information for your project either come to BTC or send a written request. The collections of books, journals and papers cover a wide range of technical subjects including building and construction, renewable energy, water supply and sanitation, health, small scale industries, agriculture, management advice, bookkeeping, candle-making etc. If the information you require is not in the current collection you are welcome to discuss your needs with BTIS and we will try and obtain relevant information from other organisations.

BTIS has starlet a resources persons programme to aid the dissemination of information. The aim of the programme is to keep a record of people or institutions and their interests or fields of expertise and to automatically send relevant information to these people. Also, people working in the same field may be made aware of each other. Anybody is welcome to apply to be included on the programme.

BTC Engineering Service

The priority of the engineering service is to answer technical queries from individuals, the private sector, parastatals and government departments. In order to be able to deal effectively with most of the technical problems that exist in Botswana we have provided for a broad range of in-house knowledge and skills. Currently the service includes civil, electronic and mechanical engineering but by 1985 will also include industrial, mining and design engineering.