The National Research Repository of Uganda - NRU

Welcome to the National Research Repository of Uganda, abbreviated as "NRU". NRU was established in 2021. NRU is a collection of scholarly output by researchers from the UNCST Community, including scholarly articles and books, electronic theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, journals, technical reports and digitised library collections. It is the official Institutional Archive (IA) of UNCST.

Copyright Information:

For information about the publishers' copyright policy on archiving your articles online or in an institutional archive, visit the Sherpa Site at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo.php The site gives a summary of the permissions normally given as part of each publisher's copyright transfer agreement. If you wish to publish your research findings in the NRU, please contact NRU administrator at admin@uncst.go.ug for details. NRU operates both open access and closed access models. Access to fulltext has been restricted in adherence to the UNCST Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Copyrights policies.

Other Useful Resources:

Africa Portal is an online repository of open access library collection with over 3,000 books, journals, and digital documents on African policy issues. This is an initiative by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Makerere University (MAK), and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Please visit the Africa Portal at http://www.africaportal.org/library.

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Communities in NRU

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 12

Recent Submissions

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Stimulating Production of Shea Butter for Industrial Application in Uganda.
(Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, 2025-04-30) Uganda National Council for Science and Technology:
The global demand for shea butter, projected to reach USD 2.9 billion by 2025, continues to grow across the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and confectionery industries. Despite Uganda’s potential in this market, local production primarily relies on traditional artisan and cold-pressing methods, which produce low-quality shea butter unsuitable for industrial applications. To address this challenge, a study was conducted to enhance the quality of Ugandan shea butter through advanced fractionation techniques. Using both dry and solvent-based methods, the study successfully separated shea butter into two components: shea olein (liquid) and shea stearin (solid), at crystallization temperatures of 15°C and 20°C. Solvent fractionation using acetone at 20°C yielded the best results, producing high-quality shea olein suitable for industrial use. Notably, artisan-processed shea butter yielded higher olein fractions (59.4–59.8%) than cold-pressed butter (41.5–41.8%) at both temperature points. Based on these findings, the study recommends adopting solvent fractionation at 20°C for large-scale processing and equipping local producers with the necessary training and technology. It further calls for the development of national standards for high-olein shea butter and the promotion of its broad industrial applications. A pilot fractionation machine has already been fabricated to support industrial-scale implementation.
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Commercialization of Propolis Powder for Improved Health and Incomes in Ugandans (Proven boost)
(Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, 2025-04-30) Uganda National Council for Science and Technology:
This policy brief presents key findings from a project supported by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) under the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), aimed at commercializing propolis in Uganda. Despite Uganda's potential to produce 325–870 tonnes of propolis annually, over 99% remains underutilized. The project addressed this gap by developing quality and safety standards, fabricating essential processing equipment, conducting intellectual property (IP) training, and raising awareness among rural beekeepers. Quality testing in collaboration with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards confirmed that Ugandan propolis meets international safety standards. Infrastructure improvements, including a pilot processing facility and IP protections for new products, have laid the groundwork for market entry. The brief calls for policy action in areas such as standards enforcement, IP promotion, public-private partnerships, and continuous training to position Uganda competitively in the global propolis market and empower rural livelihoods.
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FRACTIONATION OF UGANDAN SHEA BUTTER INTO COMMERCIAL SHEA STEARIN AND SHEA OLEIN
(Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, 2025-04-30) Uganda National Council for Science and Technology:
This presentation outlines a study focused on the development and commercialization of fractionation technology for Ugandan shea butter into two high-value components: shea olein and shea stearin. Uganda produces an estimated 880 metric tons of shea kernels annually, but current applications of shea butter remain limited to food and cosmetics, with minimal product diversity and limited exports. The project employed both traditional artisan and cold pressing extraction methods, followed by laboratory-based fractionation using dry and solvent techniques at crystallization temperatures of 15°C and 20°C. The resulting fractions were analyzed for physicochemical properties including acid value, iodine value, and fatty acid profile. The study successfully piloted a fractionation machine for industrial use and demonstrated a wide range of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical applications for the derived shea olein and stearin. It concludes with a recommendation to maximize the use of these ingredients and expand their industrial application.
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Developing and Promoting Supplement and Beverage Product Prototypes for Improved Commercial Exploitation of Propolis and Bee Venom in Uganda
(Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, 2025-04-30) Uganda National Council for Science and Technology:
This presentation outlines a research initiative focused on developing and commercializing propolis-based supplement and beverage products in Uganda. Despite Uganda’s 2 million beehives capable of producing 870 tons of propolis worth approximately USD 3.5 million annually, 99% remains unutilized due to unstandardized processing, lack of purification technology, and minimal research and development. The first phase of the project involved documenting propolis production potential, developing prototypes, evaluating antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and assessing market opportunities. The second phase emphasized commercialization through equipment fabrication, quality analysis, intellectual property registration, and beekeeper capacity building. The study highlights the potential of academia-private sector collaboration, calls for increased investment, and proposes a scalable model for propolis exploitation across Africa.
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The Industry Knowledge Clinics: Translating Research Results into Social and Commercial Applications.
(Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, 2025-04-30) Uganda National Council for Science and Technology:
The Industry Knowledge Clinics (IKCs) initiative addresses critical barriers to translating academic research into practical industrial applications in Uganda, aligning with national development goals such as Vision 2040 and NDP IV. Led by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), IKCs provide a collaborative, demand-driven platform to bridge gaps between academia, industry, and regulators. Key challenges include skills deficits, limited technology access, complex standards, and weak institutional linkages. The IDE-STABACO project—a case study highlighted in this presentation—exemplifies the IKC model’s success by simplifying bakery and confectionery standards, delivering targeted training to over 240 practitioners, and fostering public-private partnerships (PPPs). Outcomes include enhanced industry skills, adoption of simplified standards by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), and improved market competitiveness. Recommendations emphasize integrating IKCs into national policies, securing dedicated funding, incentivizing stakeholder participation, and strengthening coordination platforms. The IKCs demonstrate a scalable solution to accelerate Uganda’s industrialization by transforming research into actionable knowledge for SMEs. Keywords: Knowledge translation, industry-academia collaboration, Uganda, SMEs, standards, public-private partnerships.