Innovation & Strategy Tracks > Track 18: Innovation in Africa and in the Global South

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Kerim Karmeni, Rabat Business School, UIR, Morocco, kerim.karmeni@uir.ac.ma
• Dr. John Amoah, Takoradi Technical University, Ghana

Innovation is a key driver of economic growth in African countries (Schmoch and Pouris, 2021; Lundvall et al. 2011). Africa is experiencing a notable shift in its economic and social dynamics. Traditionally associated with challenges such as poverty, disease, corruption and political instability, Africa is now attracting attention for its potential to harness innovation and sustainability. The continent's youthful population, cultural diversity and the increasing access to technology created a fertile ground for innovation to flourish in Africa countries (Henn and Robinson, 2023; Kaplinsky and Kraemer-Mbula, 2022).

In addition to social, cultural and technological factors, the growing of South-South trade also constitutes another pillar of innovation in Africa. Indeed, the use of lower sophisticated technologies imported from south countries provides more opportunities of adaptation from the local users than technologies imported from developed countries (Kaplinsky and Kraemer-Mbula, 2022; Agyei-Holmes, 2014; Atta-Ankomah, 2014).

The key topics of the track include:

• transformation, innovation, and sustainable development in Africa,
• appropriate policies,
• informal business and innovation opportunities in Africa,
• digital technologies in the service of innovation and growth in Africa,
• the digital future of the National Innovation System,
• South-South trade as a source of innovations opportunities in Africa,
• lessons that Africa can learn from the rest of global south countries.

And any other type of contributions that helps to advance this theme.

References

Agyei-Holmes, A., 2014. Tilling the Soil in Tanzania: What Do Emerging Economy Technologies have to Offer?”. The Open University, Milton Keynes.

Asongu, S. A., & le Roux, S. (2023). The role of mobile money innovations in transforming unemployed women to self-employed women in sub-saharan africa. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 191 doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122548.

Atta-Ankomah, R., 2014. China’s Presence in Developing Countries’ Technology Basket: the Case of Furniture Manufacturing in Kenya. The Open University, Milton Keynes.

Avom, D., Bangaké, C., & Ndoya, H. (2023). Do financial innovations improve financial inclusion? evidence from mobile money adoption in africa. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 190 doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122451

Henn, S. J., & Robinson, J. A. (2023). Africa's latent assets. Journal of African Economies, 32, I9-I32. doi:10.1093/jae/ejac034

Kaplinsky, R., & Kraemer-Mbula, E. (2022). Innovation and uneven development: The challenge for low- and middle-income economies. Research Policy, 51(2) doi:10.1016/j.respol.2021.104394

Lundvall, B.A., Joseph, K.J., Chaminade, C. & Vang, J. (eds.), 2011, Handbook of innovation systems and developing countries: Building domestic capabilities in a global setting, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.

Schilling, L., & Seuring, S. (2023). Mobile financial service-enabled micro-businesses driving sustainable value creation in emerging markets. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 192 doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122596

Schmoch, U., & Pouris, A. (2021). International patent applications and innovation in south africa. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 24(1) doi:10.4102/sajems.v24i1.4146