ACTS is spearheading development of a new regional strategy on innovation and technology transfer for the East African Community (EAC).
The strategy will guide the region to exploit existing opportunities within the innovation ecosystem and with a view to harnessing, developing, and applying science, technology, and innovation for socio-economic development. It will also help and address the gaps within the ecosystem.
Eventually, the strategy will help catalyse industrial innovation and related outputs, strengthen technology and knowledge transfer, enhance knowledge creation, build effective partnerships, and improve technology management and protection in the East Africa.
Development of the strategy was undertaken through a six-step process: documenting the status of innovation and technology transfer in the region, mapping key stakeholders in the Innovation ecosystem, data collection, preparation of a draft strategy, holding a regional workshop and preparing a comprehensive implementation plan
The results of both the desk review and field data collection were used to prepare the draft regional innovation and technology transfer strategy.
In the process of collecting data for the strategy, it emerged that, whereas the five countries are at different stages in terms of policy and legislative framework. Specifically, all the countries do not have standalone policies on innovation, technology transfer and commercialization of R&D.
Therefore, the technology transfer strategy will give encouragement and provide a framework to the EAC member states develop national policies and strategies on innovation and technology transfer.
Regarding the characteristics of innovators and start-ups in the region, it emerged that the current level of commercialization among research organizations in the region is still minimal with little impact to the economy.
The key challenges for commercialization include lack of requisite skills for technology transfer and commercialization of innovations; inadequate funding to support more innovators and start-ups and low prioritization of technology transfer.
