Sectoral Innovation Systems in Africa

All innovation systems have elements, components, parts with linkages, interconnections and interactions with boundaries at spatial, sectoral, or disciplinary levels. The elements are related to innovation creation, absorption, transfer and adaptation being either strong or weak with boundaries that range spatially from local to city, community, region, national and global levels. Innovation systems at national or sectoral level are influenced by conceptual frame and ideas, policy setting, context and environment, institutions, networks, actors, knowledge and incentives. The way the politics of system building plays out heavily influences the outputs, outcomes and impacts at various levels selected to locate the innovation system dynamics. Franco Malerba considers sectoral systems to be based on knowledge and technologies, actors, networks, and institutions. The complexity and dynamics of innovation at the sectoral level in the African context are not researched fully yet. This book i