Innovation Agencies in Africa Network

Africa’s innovation landscape holds immense potential, but it remains constrained by persistent underinvestment and fragmentation. According to UNESCO’s 2021 Science Report, The Race Against Time for Smarter Development, no African country currently allocates 1% of its GDP to research and development (R&D). 

While global R&D spending has accelerated in recent years—partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic—African nations are among the 80% of countries investing less than 1% of their GDP in scientific research. In Sub-Saharan Africa specifically, R&D investment has shown only marginal improvement, with the region’s share of global R&D dropping from 0.44% to 0.42% between 2014 and 2018, and the average national investment increasing only slightly from 0.49% to 0.51%.

Grounding the Conversation in Evidence

The University of Johannesburg’s Trilateral Research Chair in Transformative Innovation, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Sustainable Development (UJ-TRCTI) conducted a comprehensive study to assess the state of innovation agencies across the continent. 

A key finding was that, while many agencies hold broad national mandates, most operate under a formal innovation strategy, and even fewer possess the legal authority to coordinate cross-sectoral innovation efforts. The majority cited challenges such as limited institutional autonomy, insufficient funding, and the absence of a supportive legislative framework for innovation. Notably, most reported poor coordination among agencies and misaligned policies as major operational barriers.

Despite these systemic limitations, the research found widespread optimism. Over 80% of respondents expressed strong support for a continental network that could facilitate policy learning, joint programming, and knowledge exchange. These findings formed the evidentiary base for the workshop Building a Collaborative Network of Innovation Agencies in Africa, which was held from 29 February to 1 March 2024 at the Johannesburg Business School (JBS) Park, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. The workshop was part of a larger initiative supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the National Research Foundation (NRF), and implemented by the UJ-TRCTI.

A Call for Collaboration: Highlights from the Johannesburg Workshop

The Johannesburg workshop brought together nearly 50 participants, including innovation agency leaders, policy experts, and representatives from international organisations. The primary objective was to explore how a continental network could foster collaboration and shared learning across the African innovation ecosystem.

Participants engaged in detailed discussions on the challenges facing innovation agencies, such as fragmented mandates, lack of funding, and outdated regulatory environments. The workshop revealed a shared belief that while many agencies are making meaningful strides at the national level, their efforts are often siloed, leading to duplicated projects and inefficient resource use. There was clear consensus that a formal, structured network would unlock greater value by enabling agencies to share expertise, consolidate efforts, and jointly address shared challenges. The enthusiasm extended beyond operational logistics—participants viewed such a network as essential to ensuring strategic, scalable, and sustainable innovation governance.

Bridging the Gaps Through Collective Action

Innovation agencies across Africa vary in structure, size, and sectoral focus. Some are large, government-run bodies with extensive mandates, while others operate as small, agile hubs targeting specific industries or technologies. While this diversity allows for context-specific interventions, it also results in fragmented initiatives that dilute broader impact.

A coordinated network would help consolidate these efforts, allowing agencies to benefit from economies of scale. Through such a platform, agencies could embark on joint research initiatives, co-develop digital infrastructure, and collectively engage with international donors and technology partners. According to the Synthesis of Findings: Mapping of Innovation Systems and Innovation Agencies in Africa (UJ-TRCTI, 2024), enhancing synergies across the continent’s diverse agencies would significantly improve the performance of national and regional Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) systems.

Global Comparisons and Emerging Success Stories

Despite some gains, Africa still trails other regions in research capacity. The UNESCO 2021 Science Report highlights that researcher density in Sub-Saharan Africa rose from 102 per million inhabitants in 2014 to 124 in 2018. In contrast, high-income regions like Europe often boast over 4,000 researchers per million people.

Nonetheless, there are promising success stories. Egypt leads the continent with 687 researchers per million people, followed by South Africa with 518. These countries demonstrate that with strategic investment and strong institutional frameworks, meaningful progress is possible. A network of innovation agencies could help scale these successes by enabling peer learning and diffusing best practices across the continent. By formalising channels for collaboration, African nations could collectively raise their research capacity, paving the way for more balanced and inclusive development.

Digital Transformation, Investment Leverage, and Policy Harmonization

In the face of limited R&D spending, many African countries are actively embracing digital transformation, creating opportunities to leapfrog traditional development paths. A continental network could reinforce this progress by facilitating the development of shared digital platforms, harmonised training programs, and regional capacity-building initiatives.

Such a network could also play a pivotal role in attracting international funding. The African Development Bank and other institutions have indicated that robust regional collaboration increases investment credibility and sustainability. In this context, collective funding mechanisms and pooled resources would allow smaller agencies to access opportunities typically reserved for better-resourced institutions.

Policy misalignment remains a critical challenge. Many innovation agencies are hampered by contradictory or outdated regulatory frameworks. Both the UJ-TRCTI research and the Johannesburg workshop emphasised the need for a platform that can advocate for regulatory coherence and innovation-friendly legislation. A continental alliance would be uniquely positioned to support policy harmonisation, ensuring that national strategies align with regional development goals such as those outlined in Agenda 2063.

Charting a Collaborative Future

The vision of a strong, interconnected network of African innovation agencies is not just aspirational—it is a strategic necessity. As the continent seeks to transform its innovation landscape and address pressing developmental challenges, collaboration will be key to breaking down silos, maximising resources, and accelerating inclusive growth.

The insights from the UJ-TRCTI 2024 Synthesis Report, validated by the deliberations at the Johannesburg workshop and reinforced by global data from UNESCO, all lead to the same conclusion: Africa needs a shared platform for innovation governance. Such a network would catalyse a new era of cooperation, align fragmented efforts, and position the continent as a globally competitive force in science, technology, and innovation.

By investing in collective intelligence and coordinated action, Africa can unlock its full innovation potential—transforming the future not only for its people but also for the global knowledge economy.