Back to Index

National innovation systems: Necessity for socio-economic development
Chipo Nyamwena
August 21, 2010

The recurrent economic crisis, high government debts, high inflation rates, unemployment, poor economic growth and slow pace in development faced by many sub Saharan countries has prompted many researchers and academics, policy makers to find a way forward. For a long time now many African countries have found themselves apportioning the blame exclusively to the West or claiming the slow development as effects of the colonial rule. For how long shall Africa continue to cry? Can-t she find solutions of her own without pointing fingers? Countries like Japan have shaken the dust off their feet and moved forward through technological innovation and training their nationals (both those in the country and outside) and the results are there for us to witness, to date Japan has one of the fastest growing and competitive world economy.

There is need for African countries to adopt the techno-economic paradigm. In simpler terms these are methods that incorporate technology in their economic development programs. To begin it is better to understand the meaning of innovation as given by various scholars. There is no one confined definition to innovation, but Innovation is described as a continuous improvement in product design and quality, changes in organisational and management routines, creativity in marketing as well as modifications of production processes that brings costs down, increase efficiency and ensure environmental sustainability (Linder et al., 2003; Oregano et al., 2006) or as fresh thinking that creates value (Vaitheeswaran, 2007). As Muchie et al (2010) notes innovation is thought of comprising originality, creativity, farsightedness enterprising, imaginative and inventiveness. Innovation can be incorporated in policies addressing poverty, agricultural, cultural and climate change challenges. For African countries to achieve creativity, to be enterprising, there need for some serious research and development activities for new products, processes and improvements to the already existing products. African countries boast of having the much needed land in Europe but that land is not being fully utilised or where it used, it is producing raw materials that are exported to European countries. We are producing the things that we do not need and importing those goods and services that we need at the expense of our meagre foreign currency. This is the same issue in the administrative personnel, technical skills after getting training they move to Europe for greener pasture (brain drain). Another example is the current debate that whether African countries should engage in biofuel production given its food insecurity issues, environmental degradation and water problems. But who says we can-t achieve both, that is energy security and food security given the right technologies and right innovation systems in place. There are other ongoing current debates for example use of Genetically Modified Foods, genetically modified organisms and use of 3Gs. Instead of African countries moving forward they spend most of their time debating behind closing doors and when its time to implement other western countries are several steps ahead or even considering advanced options of the technology.

Academics and researcher have found the use of the Schumpeter theory on technological innovation for economic development as useful and applicable -especially in solving crisis developing nations found them in. J.A.Schumpeter showed the influence of technological revolutions on the economic development. He established a tight connection between putting into operation of basic R&D and technological innovations and long-term cyclical fluctuations of economic development. One of the main categories in this theory is "destructive creation", when basic technological innovations simultaneously ruin old branches of production and create new ones (Yuriy Bazhal, 2010).In the analysis of this context it is high time African countries become destructive in nature in order to create an innovative environment, one that takes away old habits of sticking to traditional ways of marketing our goods, or not producing beyond subsistence levels. We need to get out of that box and create an environment that allows being creative, enterprising and the same time providing incentives.

When there are right innovation systems in place it enables structural changes; be they in different sectors of the economy, they also improve internal market as well as increasing international competition. Fiscal and monetary policies are not enough for economic development. There is need for policies that cater for development of technologies. Innovation programmes should between researchers and partners form government, private companies and the community. A country that invests in innovation programmes is investing into its future.

*Chipo Nyamwena is an agricultural economist and can be reached on chiponyam2@yahoo.com

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP