Bioscience Innovation System in eastern Africa: Opportunities and Challenges

Julius EcuruBIPCEA

First Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific ConferenceUnited Nations Conference Centre (UNCC-ECA)Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-27 February 2013

Synopsis

• A bioscience innovation system is evolving in eastern Africa. The people and organizations are there; they just need to interact better.

Where do we want to be?

• Countries in eastern Africa have a common aspiration & vision:

– i.e. to achieve middle income country status as soon as possible (before 2030?)

• Challenge, “how to get there?”

A shift in paradigms?

• For over 2 decades, priority was on Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS) and MDGs.

• This was necessary to provide essential social services (expanding access to health, education, infrastructure, etc); but has not been sufficient to build a foundation for long-term sustainable economic growth because outputs desired had to be immediate, short term. – But fruits from research & innovation usually ripen after many years,

long term.

• But now, dev’t efforts are increasingly characterised by a quest for wealth creation.

• from “Poverty reduction” – “Prosperity realisation”

The key drivers

• Exploiting the natural resource base–Minerals, – Oil and gas– Genetic resources• Although the question always is in what form? Raw or

value added

• Capitalising on the growing services sector– ICTs, infrastructure, education, health care, eco-

systems services

Rising population, a double edged sword!

• Eastern Africa, to be world’s most populous region by 2050 (UNFPA, 2010)– >700 million p’le – >50% urban– >50% below 15 yrs of age

• Both sides of the sword demand new solutions through science, technology and innovation:– Productive & competitive private

sector– Sustainable eco-solutions

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Evolving a modern bio-economy in the region is the more sustainable growth pathway!

• Why? – A rich genetic resource base; – Increasing demand for renewable

bio-resources brought about by rapid globalization & climatic changes

• Calestous Juma’s optimism: – “This opportunity offers Africa

another opportunity for technological leapfrogging.”

– Juma (2011)

A functional bioscience innovation system is the key building block of bio-economy

• i.e. a complex network of people & organizations interacting and learning from each other in developing, adding value and processing local crops & other bio-resources.

Key actors

• Public universities and research organizations making progress:– E.g. with tissue culture

• E.g. with converting ag-waste into bio-energy

• Private sector slowly coming in;

• International and regional organizations playing a significant role

Lessons

• The public sector (universities, research orgs, & government) can catalyse a rapid evolution of an eastern Africa bioscience innovation system, and specifically support the creation of new bio-based enterprises, or significantly enhance the competitiveness of the existing ones.

Role of the public sector remains crucial!

• While in developed countries, private sector is a key player in innovation and creating new modern bio-business opportunities, in developing countries like most of eastern Africa, the public sector will for some time have a central role in supporting and engaging private sector in innovation efforts (creating modern bio-enterprises).

What we need

1. Responsive policies– Policies should be enabling policies

• Share visions, clear goals and sufficient incentives • Safety and quality of products• Intellectual property management systems• Favourable business climate, e.g. taxation regimes

2. Stable financing mechanisms– Innovation funding on a competitive basis, make it annual and

sizeable;– Government and donor support is absolutely necessary

What we need …

3. Competitive products, entrepreneurship skills enhancement and search for new markets– Researchers & scientists, get into business;

• requires flexible regimes at universities/public research organizations

– Have in place “business” incubation services,

– Financial institutions, enhance capacities to assess bio-based business proposals.

What we need…

4. Enhance human & infrastructure capacities– Increase funding to universities, to produce

graduates with more practical skills

5. Enhance linkages & communication–With all actors in the system;• Especially, universities and public research

organizations should be better linked;

What are we doing?

Bioscience Innovation Policy Consortium for eastern Africa (BIPCEA)

Bio-Innovate technological clusters

BIPCEA• Assists in putting in place effective policy

support mechanisms at national and regional level which enable commercialization of Bio-innovations.• Identify and offer solutions to critical policy issues

• Provide a platform for interaction & sharing ideas

• Provide tools for effective management of bio-innovations

Moving forward

• Countries in eastern Africa can use bio-resources as a strategic base for sustainable economic growth;

• Ultimately developing a more sustainable and resource efficient “Bio-economy”

• Let’s go Bio!

• The journey may be rough, but it is not

too far.

THANK YOU

• Acknowledgement– BIPCEA– Sida– Bio-Innovate PMO