The systems of innovation approach to economic analysis and planning is increasingly being recognised as a more suitable, adaptable and useful approaches to development planning. Africa however has a marked lack of expertise in this critical competency, both within universities and those public sector organs which are directly involved in the formulation and implementation of processes which directly affect the evolution of national systems of innovation. Unless redressed, the lack of widespread capabilities with high-level capacities will significantly reduce the ability of individual countries to design coherent and effective development plans and for the region to move towards the goal of economic integration, development and growth.

The Institute for Economic Research of Innovation (IERI) of Tshwane University of Technology and the Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) of the United Nations University and Maastricht University are working in partnership to address the need for more relevant and useful empirical competencies in both the public sector and the higher education sector. They are currently promoting and managing doctoral research grants and institutional research projects that focus on science, technology and innovation (STI) indicators across a number of countries in Southern Africa and Senegal as a means of addressing a pivotal aspect of innovation theory and its relevance to the development process.

To download more information on this initiative please click here and here.