Innovation measurement in Africa
Dr Almamy Konte and Dr Philippe K. Mawoko
African Observatory for Science, Technology and Innovation
African Union Commission
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
I. Introduction and background
Innovation is now well known as a key driver of economic growth and international competitiveness in the knowledge-based economy. Countries and regions are continuously reviewing and developing their innovation policies and strategies in order to stimulate creativity and face to the global challenges for a sustainable development.
Measuring innovation is becoming essential for policy making as it helps to evaluate policies’ efficiency and assess the contribution of innovation to socio economic objectives. Innovation indicators help to monitor progress made towards a policy goal and enable cross-countries comparisons. OECD[1] and Latina America[2] countries have gained many years of experience in developing guidelines, instruments and manuals for measuring innovation to better understand the dynamics and its link to economic growth, competitiveness, job creation and human wellbeing.
In Africa, many decisions have been taken by the leaders and policy makers (Lagos Plan, Abudja Treaty, AU assembly decisions) to boost Africa’s economic growth through Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). Amid these efforts, the measurement of scientific and technological activities in general and innovation in particular is still in its enfency . Apart South Africa which started its first innovation survey in 1996 (SISAMF-1996) and has so far undertaken 4 innovation surveys, there are thirteen African countries which begun surveying and measuring innovation activities. The latter has been facilaited by the AU-NEPAD driven African Science, Technology Innovation Indicators Initiative (ASTII)[3].
Indeed it is in 2005 that the African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST) held in Dakar expressed, through the Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA ,the need to collate data and statistical information STI ) adopted by. The CPA is continental the framework whihc guides the development of S&T on the continent. The CPA includes the ASTII programme as one of its flagship programmes The ASTII programme has two interrelatted projects.: The first project focus on the development and adoption of a common STI indicators framework , the second project l institutionalizes the first one through the establishment of the African Observatory for STI (AOSTI). The purpose of this programme is to build Africa’s capacity to develop and use STI indicators.
AOSTI was established in 2009. It is rooted in a series of decisions by the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) dating back to the first AMCOST conference held in Johannesburg in November 2003. In johnnaseburg, AMCOST, endorsed the compilation of indicators for scientific research, technological development and innovation activities. Two years later, in September 2005 in Dakar, the second conference established an intergovernmental committee, which agreed on a common framework for compiling S&T and innovation (STI) indicators. The third conference, held in Mombasa in September 2007, and the fourth in Cairo in April 2010, paved the way for the development and production of indicators for research and experimental development (R&D) as well as those for innovation. These were published by AU-NEPAD in 2010 as the first African Innovation Outlook.
II. Methodological framework and instruments used for measuring innovation in Africa
As for many countries around the world, the OECD/Eurostat Oslo Manual (OECD/Eurostat 2005) is used as guidelines for collecting and interpreting innovation data at the level of the firm. The definition of innovation in the Oslo manual is used as reference in conducting surveys and developing standard indicators of innovation. Furthermore, it allows the production of internationally comparable innovation indicators.
South Africa, as the first African country conducting innovation survey has adopted the Oslo Manual as guidelines, adopted the survey instruments based on the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) and adapted these concepst to meet their specific needs.
For the implemnation of the ASTII programme, , the Intergovernmental Committee meeting held in Maputo in 2007 resolved that African countries should also use internationally recognized guidelines within which national innovation surveys in addition to those of Research and Development (R&D) should evolve towards comparability.
Countries partcipating in the ASTII project agreed to make use of the experience gained by of South Africa and modelled their questionnaires on the Community Innovation Survey (CIS). The questionnaires were adapted to meet each country’s data requirements
The questionnaires used by african countries for the innovation survey covered the following topics:
· Product innovation (goods or services)
· Process innovation
· On-going or abandoned innovation activities
· Innovation activities and expenditure
· Sources of information and cooperation for innovation activities
· Effects of innovation during the last two years
· Factors hampering innovation activities
· Intellectual property rights
· Organisation and marketing innovations.
III. Innovation surveys in Africa
Before the launch of ASTII initiative there were no regular innovation surveys undertaken in the continent except those in South Africa. In South Africa, the first national survey of Innovation was conducted in 1996 (SISAMF-1996). The SISAMF-1996 was not a comprehensive national survey since only selected innovative manufacturing companies were surveyed. The first comprehensive national innovation survey in South Africa was conducted by a joint research team (SAIS2001), the University of Pretoria and Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.
With regards to the continet, in 2008, of the 19 countries partcipating inthe first phase of ASTII initiative, ten countries (Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia) conducted innovation survey and provided results. It was a pilot phase and findings could not allow country comparisons for statistical reasons as described in the next section
The second survey started in 2011 and sees the participation of eleven countries namely Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. A total of fourteen countries have participating in the two phases. Out of these, only seven countries (Egypt, Ghana, Lesotho, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) have conducted the two innovation surveys (see table 1)
Partcipating Countries / Reference periodPhase 1 / Phase 2
Burkina Faso / 2006 - 2008
Egypt / 2005 - 2007 / 2008 - 2010
Ethiopia / 2005 - 2007
Gabon / 2010 - 2012
Ghana / 2006 - 2007 / 2008 - 2010
Kenya / 2008 - 2011
Lesotho / 2006–2008
Mali / 2008 - 2010
Mozambique / 2005–2007
Senegal / 2009 - 2011
South Africa / 2002–2004 / 20052007
Tanzania / 2005/06–2007/08 / 2008- 2010
Uganda / 2006–2008 / 2008- 2010
Zambia / 2006–2008 / 2008- 2010
Source:
- phase 1: AU–NEPAD (African Union–New Partnership for Africa’s Development) (2010), African Innovation Outlook 2010, AU–NEPAD, Pretoria
- phase 2: upcoming outlook 2013
These surveys have been administrerd by focal points which are generally ministry in charge of science, technology and innovation in collaboration with the national statistics office.
IV. Main findings in Africa innovation surveys
The results provided by the participating countries during the two phase have not been benchmarched and cross-country comparison were not possible due to some statiscal factors outlined below:
· The reference periods of survey differ from country to country then global economy context is different for each survey;
· The size of the samples used by countries are too small to enable population estimates (only South Africa used a stratified random sample)
· The coverage of the economic sectors is not harmonized even if international classification is used; only manufacturing sector is common for all countries Some countries survey also the public and research institutions
· The firm’s cut-off points are also different (employment and revenue). The employees’ cut-off point differs from country to country and some used revenue as cut-off point.
Hoewer some characteristics of innovation in the firms have been deducted from the results[4]
· Innovation is present in all participating countries firms, both technological and non-technological innovations (Innovation is pervasive);
· More firms innovate than do R&D: characteristics
· Innovation is a connected activity: importance of the relation between firms and the clients
· Innovation is related to the size of the firms
· Innovation has an impact and there are also barriers.
V. Measuring innovation in the informal sector
The informal sector is an important component in many African economies. But so far, despite the numerous macroeconomic studies produced, it doesn’t receive lot of investigations in the domain of innovation. Case studies[5] are found where innovation in informal sector has been investagitated. This is an area of interest in which AOSTI intend to launch projects.
VI. Conclusion
While science and technology activities are now taken into account in the policy development process in many African countries, more needs to be done for Innovation measurement to support evidence-based policy-making in AU member states.
The measurement of innovation in Africa is still in its enfancy or leraning stage.s. However international standards and methods are now being adopted and used by African countries. The need to involve more actors (researchers, private sector) is becoming necessary.
The surveys show the need for capacity building in conducting surveys, processing the data and using the findings for policy purpose.
Despite the fact that the main results produced are not internationally comparable, several lessons have been learned and a commutity of practice is emergeing. This will stimulate the demand of innovation indicators for policy ,akingt.
The new STI strategy for Africa named “on the wings of innovation” (STISA 2024) will certainly open a new perspective and give a baseline for the innovation measurement and support evidence-based policy-making in AU member states.
[1] Oslo Manuals
[2] Bogota Manual
[3] http://www.nepad.org/humancapitaldevelopmnt/astii/about
[4] More details can be found in the African Innovation Outlook 2010, AU–NEPAD, Pretoria
[5] Konte A. and Ndong M., “The informal ICT sector and innovation processes in Senegal”, UNU-MERIT working paper 2012-009, pp. 36