Mauritius Research and Innovation Council

What Mauritius Research and Innovation Council does

The Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) is a government parastatal organization founded in 1992, operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Research in Mauritius. As the statutory apex body advising the Government of the Republic of Mauritius on all matters concerning scientific, technological, research and innovation issues, MRIC coordinates national research policy and serves as the focal point for innovation promotion. Its headquarters are located at 6th Floor, Ebene Heights, 34 Cybercity, Ebene, with a regional branch in Rodrigues. The organization serves researchers and innovators, SMEs, academic and research institutions, and government agencies across Mauritius and Rodrigues.

MRIC's product portfolio comprises roughly a dozen grant schemes — Proof of Concept Scheme, Innovation Boost Grant, Collaborative Research and Innovation Grant Scheme (CRIGS), Research and Innovation Bridges, Pole of Innovation Grant Scheme, Social Innovation Research Grant Scheme, and Rodrigues R&I Grant Scheme — alongside the National SME Incubator Scheme, Intellectual Property Promotion Scheme, Technology Transfer Office, Centre for Applied Social Research, and the National Innovator Hall of Fame. Core technology assets include a national R&D Survey infrastructure and the Gender-Based Violence Observatory (GBVO), a data platform with public dashboards tracking domestic violence, child abuse, workplace violence, elderly abuse, and technology-assisted GBV. The organization operates flagship convening platforms such as National Research Week and the National Innovation Challenge, and facilitates Mauritian researcher participation in international programmes including EU Horizon Europe and joint satellite innovation initiatives with ISRO.

MRIC's revenue model is government funding — it is a not-for-profit parastatal that does not charge fees for core services and does not disclose commercial pricing. Its go-to-market is event-driven: grant cycles (e.g., the 2025 Call for Proposals which drew 140 applications), awareness sessions (~180 attendees per session), and National Research Week. The organization is wholly government-owned with no private shareholders, no funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue or budget figure. International strategic partners include the European Union (Horizon Europe programme 2021–2027), ISRO, EURAXESS Africa, and the African Hydrogen Partnership.

Name

Mauritius Research and Innovation Council

Legal name

Mauritius Research and Innovation Council

Website

https://mric.mu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) is a government parastatal funding R&D through multiple grant schemes, running innovation challenges, and operating the Gender-Based Violence Observatory. It serves Mauritian researchers, SMEs, academic institutions, and government agencies under the Ministry of Tertiary Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Research and Innovation Funding

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ), Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)

Keywords

• Research and innovation grants
• Grant administration services
• SME incubation programs
• Technology transfer office
• National innovation coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Ebène

HQ country

Mauritius

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: MRIC operates as a parastatal not-for-profit organization funded through public funds. The organization benefits from government budget allocations and administers various grant programs for research and innovation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MRIC is the apex national body that advises the Government of Mauritius on research, science, technology, and innovation matters. It administers multiple grant schemes (Proof of Concept, Innovation Boost Grant, Collaborative R&I Grant Scheme, Research and Innovation Bridges, Pole of Innovation, Social Innovation Research Grant, and Rodrigues R&I Grant), runs the National SME Incubator Scheme, Intellectual Property Promotion Scheme, Technology Transfer Office, R&D Taxation Incentive confirmation, and National Innovator Hall of Fame. It also operates the Gender-Based Violence Observatory (GBVO) data platform and conducts the national R&D Survey.

Product overview

Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) operates as a comprehensive research and innovation support ecosystem under the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Research. The organization offers multiple grant programmes including Proof of Concept Scheme, Innovation Boost Grant, Collaborative R&I Grant Scheme (CRIGS), Research and Innovation Bridges, Pole of Innovation Grant Scheme, Social Innovation Research Grant Scheme, and Rodrigues R&I Grant Scheme. Additional support services include the National SME Incubator Scheme, Intellectual Property Promotion Scheme, and Technology Transfer Office. MRIC also manages the Gender-Based Violence Observatory (GBVO), a dedicated data platform tracking violence statistics across Mauritius. Key initiatives include the National Innovator Hall of Fame, National Research Week annual event, R&D Survey, and EU Horizon Europe programme participation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gender-Based Violence Observatory (GBVO): An MRIC initiative for gender-based violence research, data collection, dashboard monitoring, and knowledge repository

Products and services

• Proof of Concept Scheme

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 applications received under 2025 Call for Proposals
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration on space innovation including seminars on Unlocking the Power of Satellite Innovation and IMJS (India-Mauritius Joint Satellite) Workshop for Shaping the Space Future of Mauritius. This partnership enables knowledge transfer and capacity building in space technology for Mauritian researchers.
• European UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Horizon Europe programme (2021-2027), EU's flagship 7-year funding programme for research and innovation. MRIC facilitates Mauritian researchers' participation in project consortia to address shared global challenges. H.E. Mr. Oskar Benedikt, Ambassador of the EU to Mauritius and Seychelles, actively supports these initiatives.
• Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and ResearchcoreOthersMRIC operates under the aegis of this ministry and coordinates national research initiatives including National Research Week. The ministry provides oversight and policy direction for MRIC's activities.
• University of Mauritius (UoM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey academic partner for National Research Week and collaborative research initiatives. Hosted the EU Horizon Europe Information Event at Ebene Cybercity campus.
• Business MauritiuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner collaborating on National Research Week 2026, specifically for Day 1 themed 'From Discovery to Deals: Turning Research Excellence into Economic Impact' to strengthen academia-industry collaboration and promote research commercialisation.
• University of Technology, Mauritius (UTM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution partner for National Research Week hosting Day 4 sessions, engaged in collaborative research and innovation activities.
• Ministry of Gender Equality and Family WelfarecoreOthersCollaborates with MRIC's Gender-Based Violence Observatory (GBVO). The ministry operates Family Support Bureaux and provides data on domestic violence cases across Mauritius.
• Mauritius Institute of Biotechnology Ltd (MIBL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in National Research Week 2026, co-organizing Day 1 focused on academia-industry collaboration and innovation-led economic growth.
• African Hydrogen Partnership (AHP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner sharing success stories at EU Horizon Europe Information Event, showcasing collaborative hydrogen research projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• VINNOVA: Sweden's innovation agency funding research and innovation projects with strong commercialization focus. Similar statutory mission of advancing national R&D outcomes through grants and partnerships.
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): UK's national research funding body covering science, research, and innovation across all disciplines. Functionally analogous as a national R&D funding and policy coordination entity, but at vastly larger scale.
• CONACYT (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación): Mexico's national council for science, technology and innovation — funds research, scholarships, and innovation programmes. Comparable role as government-affiliated R&D policy and funding coordinator.
• National Research Foundation (NRF) — South Africa: Larger African national agency supporting research, knowledge creation, and infrastructure. Comparable mandate around national research funding and policy support but at materially greater scale than MRIC.
• CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research — South Africa): South Africa's statutory R&D performing organization conducting and funding applied research. Similar statutory heritage and African innovation ecosystem role, but with in-house research laboratories rather than primarily funding researchers.

Direct peers

• Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA): State agency under Kenya's Ministry of Education coordinating national innovation ecosystem, including grants, incubators, and innovation challenges. Directly comparable mandate and structure to MRIC.
• CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico e Industrial): Spanish public entity under the Ministry of Science and Innovation that funds R&D projects and fosters technology transfer and innovation. Highly comparable structure and function to MRIC.
• NACOSTI (National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation): Kenya's statutory body advising government on STI policy, coordinating research funding, and managing innovation grants. Closely aligned mandate to MRIC's apex advisory role.
• MINCYT (Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación — Argentina): Argentina's national ministry/agency coordinating federal science, technology, and innovation policy with grant programmes for researchers and SMEs. Mandate and target beneficiaries closely resemble MRIC's.
• Technology Innovation Agency (TIA): South Africa's public entity funding and supporting technology innovation through grants, incubation, and commercialization. Closest functional peer to MRIC as a national R&D funding agency in an African emerging market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mric_2019
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUCHdMVQqSNPVd6oTWCBcxw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/MRIC2019
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mauritiusresearchandinnovationcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mauritius Research and Innovation Council