ABSTRACT
Innovation and knowledge are highly relevant to socio-economic prosperity in Africa and, more broadly, in the Global South. However, the geographies of innovation and the factors shaping innovation and knowledge creation capacities are very uneven.
In the Global South, many innovations that address local needs take advantage of local learning processes. Such innovations, often based on the doing, using and interacting (DUI) mode of learning, can create a competitive advantage for African countries and communities. By contrast, the high-end science, technology and innovation (STI) mode of learning and related policies prevail in the more developed countries of the Global North. These require substantial material and intangible resources that many African countries are missing.
In Africa, as well as the Global South generally, societally transformative innovation policies are inclusive, participatory and built around local communities’ knowledge and needs. Grounding innovation policies in local contexts and engaging local communities in transformative innovation processes unlock opportunities for innovation that are based on local and indigenous knowledge, while supporting open, responsible innovation processes. This approach lends itself to creating more sustainable societies in Africa and beyond, in the Global South.
