The directorate is established pursuant to the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute Act, 2022 section 6 and is responsible for undertaking research in industrial and allied technology.

Functions of the directorate include: -

• Develop and implement research projects;
• Promote and facilitate cutting-edge industrial and allied technology research in the institute by ensuring that all research adheres to best practices in order to produce world-class output;
• Develop institutional and national research and development policy programs;
• Monitor national and international trends in cutting edge industrial and allied technology research and make appropriate recommendations to guide the institutes research agenda;
• Enhance research initiatives of the institute;
• Prepare and disseminate research outputs to scientific peers, industrial enterprises, policy-makers and the public.