BITRI Appoints Leene Nage as Director of Business Development

The Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Leene Nage as its new Director Business Development, effective 21 October 2026.

Ms Nage brings extensive experience in strategic business development, commercial growth, partnership development, and executive leadership. Her career spans from experience with multinational pharmaceutical companies across Africa and the Middle East, where she successfully drove business growth by establishing strategic partnerships with strategic partners and supranational organisations, expanding access to essential medicines, and creating sustainable commercial opportunities.

She joins BITRI from the Botswana Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), where she demonstrated strong strategic and institutional leadership. Her achievements include forging high-impact partnerships to strengthen industry capacity, advancing research into critical sector challenges, and establishing thought leadership platforms that convened public and private sector stakeholders to address governance, compliance, and industry development. Her leadership enhanced institutional collaboration and created opportunities for professional growth and industry engagement.

Leene holds a bachelor’s Degree in marketing from the University of Botswana, a Master of Science in Strategic Management from the University of Derby, and professional certification in Business Analytics from the University of Cape Town.

Her appointment comes at a pivotal time as BITRI advances the implementation of its 2026 – 2031 five-year strategy, with a strong focus on translating research and innovation into commercial opportunities, strengthening industry engagement, and enhancing the Institute’s contribution to Botswana’s economic diversification agenda.

In her new role, Leene will provide strategic leadership in developing high-value partnerships, identifying new markets and business opportunities, accelerating the commercialisation of research outputs, and building sustainable revenue streams. Her commercial expertise, strategic insight, and cross-sector experience will be instrumental in strengthening the connection between research, industry, and the marketplace.

Through this appointment, BITRI further strengthens its capacity to bridge the gap between research, innovation, and commercial application. Leene’s leadership will play a critical role in advancing the Institute’s vision of becoming a catalyst for innovation-led economic growth, ensuring that research is transformed into market-ready solutions, viable enterprises, enhanced industrial competitiveness, and lasting value for Botswana.