SCIENCE WITH AFRICA: HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL OF A CONTINENT

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SCIENCE WITH AFRICA HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL OF
A CONTINENT
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Working LunchTuesday 26 June 2007European
Parliament, Brussels

• Aida Opoku-MensahDirector - ICT, Science and
  Technology Division

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Outcome Document

• Important role of science, technology and
  innovation in enhancing economic well-being is
  widely recognized.
• UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/60/204

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STI in a Globalized Context
Meeting Global Commitments for Science, Technolog
y Innovation

• OutcomeDocument
• MDGs
• WSSD
• WSIS

Africas Challenge
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UN Millennium Project 2005 Innovation Applying
Knowledge in Development

• Argues that
• developing countries must have the courage to
  break with traditional approaches and explore the
  role of science, technology, and innovation in
  their development strategies

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UN Millennium Project 2005 Innovation Applying
Knowledge in Development

• Main Recommendations for policy action include
  the following
• Focus on platform (generic) technologies such as
  ICT, biotechnology, nanotechnology and new
  materials
• Improve infrastructure services as foundation
  for technology
• Improve higher education in science, engineering
  and redefine the role of universities

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UN Millennium Project 2005 Innovation Applying
Knowledge in Development

• Promote business activities in science,
  technology, and innovation
• Improve the policy environment and
• Focus on areas of under-funded research for
  development.

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African Leaders on Science Technology
H.E. President Paul Kagame -Rwanda
H.E. President Thabo Mbeki South Africa

• An African Renaissance entails strengthening the
  genuine independence of African countries and
  continent in their relations with the major
  powers and enhancing their role in the
  determination of the global system of governance
  in all fields, including politics, the economy,
  security, information and intellectual property,
  the environment and science and technology.

• We in Africa must either begin to build our
  scientific and technological training
  capabilities or remain an impoverished appendage
  to the global economy.

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African Leaders on Science Technology
H.E. President Abdoulaye Wade Senegal
H.E. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Tunisia

• For a nation to properly cope with its economic
  and social development, it needs to institute an
  effective scientific and technological research
  system.

• We are firmly convinced today as to the
  importance of building the knowledge and
  communication society in order to guarantee a
  better future for all humanity.

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Online Discussion for African Scientists

• Aim
• provide a platform for African Science,
  Technology and Innovation actors to share
  experiences and knowledge
• Expected Outcomes
• Support dialogue among African ST policymakers,
  experts, consultants and other stakeholders
• Support their ability to network on issues
  related to STI4D in Africa and begin principles
  for science diplomacy
• Consult on strategic plan of action on
  sub-regional and national STI policy

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eDiscussion African Scientists Speak!
Quotes from online discussions "Innovation
policy is lacking in most African countries and
without scientific innovations, Africa would
remain a spectator in the global economic
development efforts, Nigerian scientist "It is
necessary to help our governments to change their
opinion about research. Without research there is
no possibility for economic independence and to
meet the MDGs and PRSP it urgent to make African
scientists confident by giving them all means to
create technologies..." Researcher, Burkina
Faso "Encouragement of scientific publishing will
make knowledge generated locally to be available
and hopefully, it can better impact on
development including the scientific image of the
country", Cameroonian researcher
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Investment in Science and Technology in Africa
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State of Science and Technology in Africa RD

• Research and Development

Source Human Development Report 2005
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ECA on Science Technology

• a major science and technology capacity building
  initiative is needed to generate, revamp and
  deploy large numbers of scientists, engineers and
  technicians.
• This has to be based on fostering strong links
  between industries, academic intuitions and
  governments, including establishment of
  public-private partnerships in scientific and
  technological research to allow Africa to develop
  appropriate technologies for her needs.

H.E. Mr. Abdoulie Janneh Under-Secretary General/
Executive Secretary ECA
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ECAs Response Alliances

• Regional, interregional and global alliances area
  mutually reinforcing in this particular sector
• They are necessary for shared experiences,
  fostering new ideas and for developing standard
  comparable indicators as to how countries are
  advancing for
• These alliances also foster cooperation among
  countries and across continents such as
  South-South, North-South etc.
• Alliances increasingly the way forward in STI as
  result of digital technologies.

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Alliance Matrix
Interregional

• Building STI Communities
• Research Development
• Policy Strategies
• Capacity Building
• Links to Industries

National
Global
Regional
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Challenges and Lessons Learnt

• Unattractive working conditions oblige Africans
  to leave their countries, thus increasing
  Africa's brain drain.

• Unattractive working conditions oblige Africans
  to leave their countries, thus increasing
  Africa's brain drain.

• Africa's higher education institutions and RD
  centers in a severe state of crisis lack of
  physical infrastructure limited access to ICTs,
  educational resources, research data, financial
  resources etc.

• Africa's higher education institutions and RD
  centers in a severe state of crisis lack of
  physical infrastructure limited access to ICTs,
  educational resources, research data, financial
  resources etc.

• Limited capacities to develop adapt and exploit
  scientific and technological solutions that
  respond to their specific needs

• Limited capacities to develop adapt and exploit
  scientific and technological solutions that
  respond to their specific needs

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Challenges and Lessons Learnt

• Limited knowledge and expertise on the role that
  IPR systems could play in fostering innovation,
  knowledge diffusion and competition

• Limited knowledge and expertise on the role that
  IPR systems could play in fostering innovation,
  knowledge diffusion and competition

• Limited resources to create viable and
  competitive physical/virtual networks of
  excellence between African / International
  institutions of higher education and STI
  institutions

• Limited resources to create viable and
  competitive physical/virtual networks of
  excellence between African / International
  institutions of higher education and STI
  institutions

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BUT THERE IS HOPE.

• Limited knowledge and expertise on the role that
  IPR systems could play in fostering innovation,
  knowledge diffusion and competition

• South Africa becoming leader in space technology
  in Africa Centre of Excellence

• Limited resources to create viable and
  competitive physical/virtual networks of
  excellence between African / International
  institutions of higher education and STI
  institutions

• Nigeria has great potential to scale up any
  science for wealth initiative, especially in
  agriculture and launched its own satellite to
  boost productive sectors

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BUT THERE IS HOPE..

• Limited knowledge and expertise on the role that
  IPR systems could play in fostering innovation,
  knowledge diffusion and competition

• Egypt becoming leader in mobile telephony design,
  maintenance and manufacturing

• Incubation beginning in Mozambique, Cameroon,
  Egypt, Rwanda

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Thank-you!www.uneca.org