Windhoek: The Mafwe Traditional Authority on Tuesday handed over land to Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp for the construction of an 'innovation park' in the Katima Mulilo Rural Constituency. The land, donated to the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), is located in the Liselo area.According to Namibia Press Agency, the facility's intended purposes include educational science and teacher support, applied agricultural research, and support for indigenous knowledge and innovation. In her remarks, Steenkamp said there is no lack of talent in the Zambezi Region."A child in this region does not fall behind in physics because that child is less able than a child in Khomas. A child falls behind because the laboratory is further away, the qualified teacher is harder to attract, and the road to the nearest demonstration is underwater for part of the year. Those are problems of distance and infrastructure," Steenkamp said.The minister stressed that the Zambezi Region's comparative advantages - namely water, fertile land, and a youthful population - place it in a strong position, as these are the exact inputs required for agricultural technology, food processing, and the bioeconomy. She called on the private sector to support the park by joining its scientific and research efforts and by commercialising innovation. The construction timeline and budget allocation are yet to be approved.According to NCRST Board Chairperson Dr Jason Nyambe, the council will complete the site documentation and land records for the land within the next three months, in collaboration with the Mafwe Traditional Authority and the regional council. "A joint coordination committee will be constituted with the Office of the Governor, the regional council, the Mafwe Traditional Authority, and NCRST all represented," Nyambe said.He however emphasised that NCRST science promotion and teacher-support activity will start running in schools in the Zambezi Region well ah ead of physical construction. "We do not need a building to start that work, and we will not wait for one," the chairperson said. He further added that the date for the commencement of construction is yet to be finalised.Also speaking at the event was Zambezi Governor Dorothy Kabula-Simushi, who said the Zambezi River rose to 6.89 metres this year, submerging over three-quarters of the Kabbe North and Kabbe South constituencies. Kabula-Simushi stated that the region currently lacks the technical tools, equipment, and expertise to harness seasonal flooding effectively, and expressed confidence that the innovation park will help transform these annual environmental challenges into agricultural opportunities.