Creating Modern Bio-economies in

Africa

Julius Ecuru

UNCST/BecA-ILRI Hub

At the SEI Bio-economy Workshop

3rd December 2014

Stockholm, Sweden

Key message

• Building and/or strengthening bioscience innovation systems is a precursor to creating modern bio-economies in Africa;

• Universities (&PRO) and communities are critical actors this innovation system;

• But they collaborate regionally & globally in bioscience, taking advantage of regional economic blocks.

Africa’s vision

• Countries in Africa have a common aspiration & vision:

– i.e. to achieve middle income country status as soon as possible (before 2030?)

– implies moving towards knowledge based economy

• Challenge is, how to get there!

“An integrated, prosperous and peaceful

Africa, driven by its own citizens and

representing a dynamic force in the

global arena” The AU

Africa today

• About 12 million people

entering the labour market

annually;-rising middle

class

• 60% of the global arable

land --- increasing

opportunities for

agribusiness dev’t;

• Opportunities for intra-

Africa trade, currently only

15% of total trade;

• Africa fastest growing

region in the world;

• High popn growth rates:

>50% of people <15yrs---

US Senator Chris Coons, 2013

The Challenge

Maintaining higher growth

rates, & making it

inclusive & sustainable;• Addressing constraints to

agricultural productivity, e.g.

biotic & abiotic stresses;

• But increasing household

incomes key to eradicating

poverty;

• It means diversifying sources of

growth---value addition, agro-

processing, agri-businesses;

• Ensuring environmental

sustainability

Creating modern bio-economies is

part of the solution...• Why?

– Africa has a rich genetic

resource base;

– A rising demand for

renewable bio-resources

brought about by rapid

globalization & climatic

changes;

– Modern bioscience tools

increasingly available;

– Critical mass of scientists

available in some

countries to start with;

Calestous Juma’s optimism:

“This opportunity offers Africa another

opportunity for technological leapfrogging.”

Juma (2011)

Building functional bioscience innovation

systems is the foundation for a bio-economy

• i.e. a network of people & organizations interacting and learning from each other in developing, adding value and processing local crops & other bio-resources.

• Interaction being facilitated by enabling institutions (norms, traditions, standards, etc)frameworks;

Universities’ role is critical, linking

with the community • If well facilitated,

universities (& public research organizations) can catalyse a rapid evolution of an African bioscience innovation systems, and specifically support the creation of new bio-based enterprises/firms, or significantly enhance the competitiveness of the existing ones.

• E.g. in East Africa alone:– >700,000 students enrolled in

over 170 universities (IUCEA

sources, 2014);

– >70% of population in rural areas, small-scale farmers;

Regional collaboration is key: E.g.

BecA, Bio-innovate, ANAFE

• Translating research products

to innovations through value

addition & incubation;

• Capacity building &

research modern

biosciences

• Enhancing ag-

education, esp.

curriculum dev

…and of course, many other important actors…

Going forward

1. Responsive policies• Policies should be enabling policies---clear

goals with incentives-specific bio-economy strategies are important

• IP management, taxation regimes, etc.

2. Innovative financing;• Innovative financing for knowledge based

bio-economies,

3. Competitive products & firms• Encourage scientists to get into business;

• Support them through active “business” incubation

Conclusion

“ Africa’s economic transformation is starting in the new

age of biology—both as a scientific endevour and as a

metaphor on how we view the world.”

- Calestous Juma, 2013

• “There’s a huge shortage of skilled people at all levels. We need bright young people with new technological ideas to solve our environmental problems” – (Andre Kuipers, in Holland Herald,

December 2014; p 39)

Source: en.wikipedia.org

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THANK YOU