By Hasekiel Johannes
Trade fairs are a familiar part of Namibia’s economic landscape, and universities are regular participants.
They showcase programmes, promote research, meet prospective students and build visibility. But a bigger question is emerging: are universities getting enough value from simply putting up a stand?
In an economy that needs stronger links between education, industry and employment, the answer may require universities to rethink what they do when they enter the exhibition space.
The question is particularly relevant at the 2026 Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair (OATF), taking place from 21–29 August 2026.
With more than 200 exhibitors and over 30 speakers, OATF is designed to connect business, networking, exhibitions and local economic development.
It is therefore more than a place to display products; it is a meeting point between ideas, capital, skills, markets and opportunity.
Universities are already part of this ecosystem, with institutions such as the University of Namibia and Welwitschia University listed among OATF exhibitors.
But simply being present is no longer enough. If a university spends money and time participating, there should be something measurable to show for it.
The university stand should become a gateway to partnerships, problem-solving, research, innovation and economic opportunity.
From Exhibitors to Economic Partners
The traditional model is simple: set up a stand, display programmes, distribute brochures and engage visitors. Useful? Certainly. Enough? Probably not.
Universities should ask: What can happen at this trade fair because we are here? The answer could be research partnerships, industry challenges, internships, student projects, consultancy, innovation and new funding.
That means moving from being exhibitors to becoming economic partners.
A university should leave a trade fair with more than photographs and contacts; it should leave with opportunities that can be converted into projects, partnerships and impact.
Turn the Stand into an Innovation Hub
Imagine a trade-fair space where companies do not just display products but bring their problems. A mining company could ask for a cheaper way to monitor water quality.
An agricultural business could seek better irrigation solutions. A financial institution could ask how to improve financial inclusion among young people.
Researchers and students could then work on these challenges, creating a pathway from industry problem to research, prototype, testing and commercialisation.
That is far more powerful than exchanging business cards. It also gives students a chance to work on real problems while giving companies access to knowledge and fresh ideas.
Bring Industry Challenges to the Fair
Trade fairs could introduce short Industry Challenge Sessions, giving companies 10–15 minutes to explain the skills they need, the problems they face and where they need research or innovation.
Universities could immediately connect those challenges to the right researchers, students and departments.
The fair then becomes the starting point for projects that continue long after the tents come down. This could become one of the most practical ways of closing the gap between what universities teach and what industry actually needs.
Take Research to the Market
Universities should also make research easier for industry to understand. A simple “Research in Five Minutes” session could ask every researcher: What is the problem? What did you discover?
What is the solution? Who can use it? What partnership is needed? The goal is to move research from the campus into the marketplace turning knowledge into products, services, consultancy and new ventures.
Research should not remain locked behind academic language when a company, community or entrepreneur may be able to use it.
From Competition to Commercialisation
A National University Innovation Challenge could bring universities together to solve real Namibian problems presented by industry.
Students could develop solutions and pitch them to industry, investors, government and entrepreneurs. But the prize should be more than a trophy.
Winners should receive mentorship, incubation, industry testing, intellectual-property support and access to potential funding.
The real victory should be a solution that reaches the market. A trade fair could therefore become the place where Namibia discovers its next startup, technology or locally developed solution.
From Exhibition to Employment
Trade fairs can also become talent markets. An Industry Talent and Internship Day could connect students and graduates directly with companies offering internships, apprenticeships, graduate jobs and research placements.
Universities could then measure success by the opportunities created—not the number of brochures handed out. For students, this changes the trade fair from a place to visit into a place where careers can begin.
A New Resource-Mobilisation Platform
There is also a financial opportunity. A researcher may arrive with a promising technology while a company at the same fair is searching for that exact solution.
The university can connect the two from testing and intellectual property to commercialisation and revenue.
Trade fairs can therefore become part of a university’s resource mobilisation strategy, not just its marketing calendar.
Industry-sponsored research, consultancy, training, innovation partnerships and commercial agreements can all begin with a conversation on the exhibition floor.
Universities Should Improve the Fair Too
The relationship should work both ways. Universities should not only ask, “What can we get from the trade fair?” but also, “What can we contribute?”
They can help organisers understand visitor behaviour, SME performance, economic impact, innovation and market opportunities.
At OATF, for example, digital tools such as visitor surveys, exhibitor ratings, QR-code engagement and visitor statistics create opportunities for universities to turn event data into useful business intelligence.
In this way, the university becomes not just an exhibitor, but a knowledge partner helping the trade fair itself become smarter and more valuable.
Measure What Matters
The biggest change may be how universities measure success. Forget counting brochures, photographs and visitors. Count industry challenges, research partnerships, internships, jobs, innovations, commercialisation opportunities, funding, consultancy projects and new agreements.
Ask how many companies engaged researchers, how many students found opportunities, how many projects were launched and how much new value was created. That is how trade-fair participation becomes an outcome-driven strategy.
Namibia’s Bigger Opportunity
Namibia has no shortage of trade fairs. From agricultural shows to business and industrial exhibitions, these events bring together people who rarely sit in the same room.
The opportunity is to turn them into temporary innovation ecosystems: industry brings the problems, universities bring knowledge, students bring creativity, researchers bring solutions, government provides policy support and investors bring capital. The outcome should be partnerships, businesses, jobs and innovation.
Beyond the Stand
For universities such as Welwitschia University, the message is clear: the goal should no longer be simply to have a stand, but to create an ecosystem around it.
A successful trade fair should leave behind partnerships, research projects, student opportunities, innovations and commercial possibilities. The stand should be the front door not the destination.
The real question after the fair should not be, “How many people visited our stand?” It should be: “What did we build because we were here?” That is the shift Namibia’s universities should make from exhibition to innovation, from visibility to value, and from attendance to impact.
If one conversation can become a research project, one student can find a job, one idea can become a business and one industry problem can become a Namibian solution, then the trade fair has delivered something far more important than publicity. It has created value.
*Mr. Hasekiel Johannes serves as the Innovation and Resource Mobilisation Coordinator at Welwitchia University. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Welwitchia University.
