Kenya Airways Launches An Innovation Hub For “New Ideas”

Kenya Airways PLC (KQ) has launched the Fahari Innovation Hub, a center for innovation that acts as a springboard for new ideas and data-driven innovations to accelerate impact-driven solutions that address some of the societal and business challenges.

The Fahari Innovation Hub is part of KQ’s strategy in contributing to the sustainable development of Africa by empowering, partnering, and co-creating innovative ideas and strategies with local start-ups and the small-medium enterprises (SMEs) ecosystem.

Speaking during the launch the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Joseph Mucheru said, “There is need to invent new ways for the future and especially for our Youth to be able to respond as flexibly as possible to changing times and diverse opportunities.”

“Through the hub, we hope to see the provision of upskilling, employment opportunities, community growth as well as support to local universities, enterprises, and SMEs as we contribute to the sustainable development of Africa.”

Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer, Allan Kilavuka said, “At the pace at which change accelerates, especially now in the middle of a global pandemic, we have become increasingly aware of the need to be innovative as we position the business as a resilient, forward-looking, and sustainable company with a deliberate inclusive agenda of empowering, partnering and co-creating with the society around us.”

“Enabling an environment that will accelerate innovative ideas, knowledge exchange and impact business operations brought together various think-tanks, industry leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs exemplifies our spirit to charge forward as we seek to innovatively find solutions that address some of our business problems and pain points,” he added. 

The Fahari Innovation Hub has operated virtually for about one year. With the setting of a physical workspace, the hub will provide a center for strategic innovation management offering opportunities for co-creation, collaboration, networking, research, and learning.

Last week, the Fahari Innovation Hub curated a virtual workshop for entrepreneurs dubbed the ‘KQ Aviation 101 Workshop’ where the Fahari Innovation Challenge was launched. The workshop served to apprise start-ups and SMEs on the opportunities available to access markets within the entire value chain of the aviation sector which includes airports, the food industry, tourism, and digitization including Boeing Horizon X, IATA, Kenya Tourism Board, Nas Airport Services, General Electric, Hivos East Africa, and Funkidz Limited.