Innovation and Economic Development

On the link between STI & Development: What matters for

African nations?

EGBETOKUN, Abiodun A.

SIYANBOLA, Willie O.

National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM)

Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Nigeria

www.nacetem.org

CONTENTS

Introduction

STI & Development: the Link

Making STI more development relevant

Directions for Action

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Transition into modern economies will involve considerable investment and use of new knowledge prosecuted mainly through science, technology and innovation (STI).

Most problems in the developing world do not require esoteric advances in knowledge but the effective assimilation, adaptation, use and improvement of existing knowledge

It is the synergy of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) that leads to economic progress

STI AND DEVELOPMENT: THE LINK (1)

The key cause of the competitive gap between nations and organisations today is knowledge: nations can no longer compete based purely on natural resource and locational advantages.

The economic progress recorded in the 50 leading S&T countries is much higher than in the rest of the world.

While the average wealth per capita in these 50 countries grew by 1.1% between 1986 and 1994, the per capita income of the other 130 countries of the world fell by 1.5% over the same period

STI AND DEVELOPMENT: THE LINK (2)

Most of the developing economies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have failed to make the needed investments

The measures of national social well-being are generally low for Africa despite the abundant human and natural resources that the continent is endowed with

GDI & HDI FOR SELECTED REGIONS (UNDP, 2005)

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

GDI HDI

SSA East Asia & Pacific World Average

Not too far for us to go!

STI 2 DEV: WHICH WAY FOR AFRICA? (1)

TECHNOLOGYSCIENCE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOG

Y (S&T)

OLD PARADIGM: As a result of the forward & backward linkage, Science

and Technology (S&T) is now a hybrid concept.

Innovation is left out

STI 2 DEV: WHICH WAY FOR AFRICA? (2)

NEW PARADIGM a = Science and

Technology;

b = Technology and Innovation;

c = Science and Innovation;

d = Science, Technology and Innovation,

e = the National Innovation System (NIS), the domain in which all activities take place

TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGY

SCIENCESCIENCE INNOVATIONINNOVATION

a b

cd

e

STI 2 DEV: THE NEW PARADIGM EXPLAINED (1)

Domain a typically results in the generation of new/improved/cutting-edge knowledge & methods without regard to economic benefits.

This has the potential to bestow leadership upon any nation but it will not, by any means, translate automatically into observable economic benefits.

STI 2 DEV: THE NEW PARADIGM EXPLAINED (2)

In domain b, the kind of activities that would typically take place would relate to the acquisition of embodied technology and an aggressive pursuit of foreign direct investment (FDI) as a way to drive growth.

The advantages in this domain for African countries are limited by two main factors: Speed Institutional deficiencies

STI 2 DEV: THE NEW PARADIGM EXPLAINED (3)

The Science-Innovation link of domain c suggests the creation of new economically useful knowledge in a country.

With the absence of technology, it becomes a particularly difficult and nearly impracticable link, for science will seldom yield any economic benefits in the absence of technology, whether near or remote.

STI 2 DEV: THE NEW PARADIGM EXPLAINED (4)

In d, the triad of science, technology and innovation co-exist.

Every African nation SHOULD aim at this domain

The joining together of science (increasing what we know), science (increasing what we know), technology (applying what we know)technology (applying what we know) and innovation (turning our innovation (turning our applied knowledge into economic benefits and promoting the applied knowledge into economic benefits and promoting the acquisition of new knowledge through learning-by-doing)acquisition of new knowledge through learning-by-doing) is more useful than the singular contributions of any of science or technology.

STI 2 DEV: THE NEW PARADIGM EXPLAINED (4_1)

For a nation to withstand competition in this era of globalisation there is need for such to identify its identify its niche areas and build on it by the application of niche areas and build on it by the application of scientific methodsscientific methods. .

New technologies and industries may then be built around these areas of core competences.

BRAZIL: Sugar-caneMALAYSIA: Oil PalmCHILE: Salmon Fishery etc

CREATE A STRONG REACTOR: THE NIS

The NIS is the domain within which all STI activities take place.

It is the network of institutions/actors that interact to bring about changes

Its strength and tightness determines success

All stakeholders must be active and connected Education & Research Funding Production/Private Sector Policy Environment

STI 2 DEV: WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

INNOVATIONS&T in areas of local needs

MONEY IDEAS MONEY

MAKING STI MORE DEV RELEVANT

Improved Funding: INCREASE AND ENLARGE

A new approach to University-Industry Linkage: Network partnerships = ACADEMIA + INDUSTRY + GOVT

Promotion of Interdisciplinary Research: CREATE ICoEs

Understanding the link between Science, Politics and Policy

DIRECTIONS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

Assess the environment within which African researchers work (organisational climate, work load, experience & attitude towards research) and how this affects their productivity

Development of STI indicators for the continent is long overdue.

An assessment of innovation capability in industry would be very useful.

CONCLUSION

For Africa to effectively position herself in domain d of the model proposed herein, careful attention must be paid to all of these issues.

In all of these areas, the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM), Nigeria’s major STI policy research agency is well-posited to lead action and to collaborate.

We train, we research

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

CONTACT

EGBETOKUN, Abiodun [email protected]@gmail.com

SIYANBOLA, Willie [email protected]@yahoo.com

WEBSITE: www.nacetem.org