FUTA Appoints Professor Olumide Obe as Director of Technology Park and Incubation Centre

The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has appointed Professor Olumide Olayinka Obe as Director of its Technology Park and Incubation Centre (TechPIC), in a move aimed at strengthening innovation-driven research and advancing technological development across disciplines.

TechPIC was established by the university to transform ideas and research outputs into functional prototypes, with a broader mandate of demonstrating the role of technology in solving real-world challenges across sectors.

Professor Obe, a Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Computer Science, brings a strong academic and research background spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, computer vision, affective and assistive computing, soft computing, Internet of Things for Development (IoT4D), mobile and control systems, and management intelligence.

His academic journey began at Salvation Army Primary School, Ilesa (1977–1983), followed by secondary education at George Burton Memorial College, Ilesa. He later obtained a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Computer Science from FUTA in 2000, a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Computer Science from the University of Lagos in 2002, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computer Science from the Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania, in 2010.

Over the years, he has built a robust research profile with publications in reputable journals and contributions addressing practical technological challenges. His academic impact is reflected in 236 citations, an h-index of 8, and an i10-index of 8, with notable work including research on deep neural network approaches for improving electrode shift robustness in myoelectric pattern recognition systems used in prosthetic control.

Professor Obe has received several academic recognitions, including Best Graduating Student at the University of Lagos (2002), MIT Scholar recognition (2013), Romanian Scholarship (2008–2010), and the Computer Vision Best Researcher Award for contributions to artificial intelligence and image processing.

In his new role at TechPIC, he is expected to lead efforts in converting research ideas into scalable innovations while strengthening collaboration between students, researchers, and industry stakeholders. The centre will also support entrepreneurial development among staff and students, while enhancing FUTA’s visibility in national and global technological advancement.

Under his leadership, TechPIC is expected to deepen its mandate of nurturing innovation, supporting early-stage prototypes, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly among young innovators seeking to translate ideas into practical solutions regardless of academic background.