‘Capability failure’ hinders African innovation, say academics

A lack of innovation capability is Africa’s biggest obstacle to green growth and sustainable development, according to three senior researchers.

The three are Keun Lee of the Seoul National University in South Korea; Calestous Juma of Harvard University in the US; and John Mathews of Australia’s Macquarie University, Sydney.

In a working paper published in March they argue that African countries’ ‘capability failure’ needs government intervention, in the form of innovation support and hands-on transfer of R&D knowledge into national industry.