Open Innovation Africa

Why innovation is the key component for dealing with the new economy.

Six out of ten new businesses fail. Unemployment isn’t getting any better. The housing market is bracing for another bump in the road next quarter. And, as if the cake needed icing, the FDIC reports that about half of America’s banks — including the four largest — are on the bubble, and may fail by the end of the year. Read the rest of this entry »

ICTP-supported school brings cutting-edge physics to sub-Saharan Africa This August, students and scientists from African countries will get the rare opportunity to learn about innovative physics experiments, accelerators and technology on their own continent.  The first African School of Physics will take place 1-21 August at the National Institute of Theoretical Physics in Stellenbosch, South Africa. ICTP, along with 12 other international institutions, is supporting the School. Fifty-nine students—including 40 from 17 African countries—will take part in the programme, learning about theoretical and experimental physics from leading international scientists.

Most of the students are pursuing or have completed advanced degrees in physics, but lack opportunities to gain specialized knowledge in subatomic physics. The trip and expenses for all African students are paid for by the school.  “This may be the first opportunity these students have to learn about particle and nuclear physics,” said Steve Muanza, a physicist at France’s CNRS/IN2P3 and the co-founder and director of the school.  “We hope that the material presented at the school piques their interest and they go on to pursue these topics.”  ICTP high energy physicist Bobby Acharya, one of the school’s organizers, said that the school represents an international effort to build scientific [...]
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Also needed are appropriate policies and regulations to spur development of innovative mobile phone-based applications The fast-growing use of cell phones in Africa — where many people lack the basic human necessities — has made headlines worldwide the past few years. The surprising boom has led to widespread speculation that cell phones could potentially transform the impoverished continent. But new research by economists Isaac M. Mbiti and Jenny C. Aker has found that cell phones — while a useful and powerful tool for many people in Africa — cannot drive economic development on their own. Mbiti, at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and Aker, at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., say that while there is evidence of positive micro-economic impacts, so far there’s limited evidence that mobile phones have led to macro-economic improvements in African countries.

No magic bullet     Cell phones only can do so much, say the researchers. Many Africans still struggle in poverty and continue to lack reliable electricity, clean drinking water, education or access to roads. “It’s really great for a farmer to find out the price of beans in the market,” says Mbiti, who has seen the impact of the cell phone boom firsthand [...]
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Innovate on Purpose (June 8, 2010) – Most social media examples consist of two very diverse types: a topical interaction site where there are thousands of participants examining interesting but not very informative or deep information, or smaller groups of people connected to discuss very deep or information rich sources. What’s interesting about this phenomenon is that it aligns well to the best kinds of innovation, especially idea generation but all aspects of innovation in general. Go to Source
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Image via Wikipedia Over 700 prominent agriculture researchers, policy makers, and development experts from around the world along with the President of Burkina Faso and ministers of Agriculture, Science and Foreign Affairs from several African and European countries are gathering 19-24 July in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for the 5th African Agriculture Science week and General [...]

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Innovation in Practice Blog (July 19, 2010) – Business schools must focus more on specific skills that support innovation, reinvent curricula to be more integrative, and convene executive programs that create new ideas and networks. Business schools must promote interdisciplinary research and recognize that innovation can come from advances in the theory, practice, or teaching [...]

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2. First food technology research and transfer center in Africa Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona’s Food Technology Plant Special Research Centre…
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Image via Wikipedia Huffington Post (July 20, 2010) – We used to think of creativity as the province of artists, musicians and writers. Now we’re waking up to the fact that all facets of modern life demand creative input. Here are a few reasons why you need to cultivate your creative skills. Go to Source [...]

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Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona’s Food Technology Plant Special Research Centre and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will train specialists in the field of agri-food and contribute to the development of this sector in the African country of Angola Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Universidade José Eduardo dos Santos in Angola will work jointly to construct [...]

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A better understanding of the wide genetic diversity of indigenous African livestock is needed to secure current and future productivity. Go to Source Related articles by Zemanta African livestock genes ‘ignored’ (news.bbc.co.uk) Related posts:Business schools need to do more to support innovation, says new research Innovation in Practice Blog (July 19, 2010) – Business schools… [...]

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Image by CIMMYT via Flickr A novel approach to supporting health product research and development (R&D) and access in Africa is urgently needed. Successful implementation of such an endeavor requires sustainable capacity, infrastructure, funding, leadership, and an understanding of the status of health R&D in the African continent. As part of the development of the [...]

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