Adapting the Innovation Systems Framework to Sub-Saharan Africa

Kraemer-Mbula, Erika; Wamae, Watu

doi:10.1787/9789264088924-7-en

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Second, particularly small companies in developing countries can be found from the areas that inclusive innovation aims to target, where lot of the economic activities take place within the informal economy. Although the formal and informal sectors are often interlinked, especially when it comes to the exchange of goods and services, it is estimated that for example in many Sub-Saharan countries the informal sector forms more than 70 percent of their economy [26]. Many companies in developing countries need to be in connection with the informal economy, which means that they are likely to be relatively well aware of the societal challenges of the groups that get their living from the informal economy.…”

Section: On Inclusive Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These entrepreneurs and small companies may be capable and well-positioned in bringing products and services that meet the needs and available economic and other resources of the marginalised groups. Among these enterprises there exists considerable heterogeneity though, as some of them are more connected to the formal sector than others, and these companies also differ in terms of what they produce or skills and other resources they possess [26][27][28]. Thus it cannot be directly concluded that all the informal sector small businesses would somehow be automatically userinclusive, but the potential for this exists.…”

Section: On Inclusive Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Inclusive Innovation in the Private Sector: The Case of East African Tech Start-Ups

Koskinen

2017

Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2017)

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Section: On Inclusive Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: On Inclusive Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inclusive Innovation in the Private Sector: The Case of East African Tech Start-Ups

Koskinen

2017

Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2017)

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“…They are entrepreneurial and keen to use their own initiative to create employment and solve problems in Africa. As De Beer et al (2014) Innovation in sub-Saharan African countries with large informal sectors where large portions of the population depends on these small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) can result in benefits not only to the entrepreneurs, but also to the society as a whole since the informal sector can produce economically viable and beneficial innovations that affect a large proportion of the population (Kraemer-Mbula & Wamae, 2010). African SMMEs can -and do -rapidly develop local and localized applications, content, platforms and solutions enabling Africans to use the web to meet their communication, business, educational and commercial needs.…”

Section: Africa's Hope: the Next Generationmentioning

confidence: 99%

ICT in Africa: Building a Better Life for All

Ponelis

Holmner

2015

Information Technology for Development

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“…To foster innovation, an appropriate innovation system is required in developing nations to enable SMEs to continue to solve social challenges. An innovation system is a network in which actors interact to exchange knowledge to undertake innovative activities (Kraemer-Mbula & Wamae, 2010). This study is concerned with the National Innovation Systems (NIS) of developed and developing countries that influence SMEs' adoption of 4IR technologies; in other words, which elements of the innovation system positively or negatively influence SMEs' adoption of 4IR technologies in developing vs. developed countries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of national innovation systems: Implications for SMEs' adoption of fourth industrial revolution technologies in developing and developed countries

Mosupye-Semenya

2024

JEMI

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PURPOSE: This study aims to identify the differences and similarities in the innovation systems of developing vs. developed countries that influence SMEs’ adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies. There is a notable absence of comparative research between National Innovation Systems (NIS) of developing and developed countries. Additionally, the current scholarly conversation lacks a holistic view of NIS. Our study aims to fill these gaps by employing Lundvall’s framework to explore both developed and developing countries’ systems comprehensively. METHODOLOGY: The data was collected through a Systematic Literature Review, identifying a total of 695 publications from SCOPUS, Web of Science (WoS), and ProQuest. The PRISMA process was adhered to, resulting in 32 papers undergoing quality evaluation using Gough’s ‘weight of evidence’ guidelines. Twenty-nine primary papers were selected, comprising twelve from developed countries, another twelve from developing countries, and the remainder from both categories. Using Qualitative Meta-synthesis (QMS) with ATLAS.ti, a systematic alignment of codes with research inquiries pertaining to NIS ensued, revealing a multifaceted spectrum of findings across these scholarly investigations. FINDINGS: We found that there are similarities and differences between the innovation systems of developed and developing nations. The similarities include the intra-firm interactions taking place between managers and workers, inter-firm relations between the SMEs and Academia and other SMEs, as well as the role of the government in providing funding and regulation (albeit at significantly varying degrees). The most significant differences observed were in the funding mechanisms, the role of the government, and the R&D systems. It was found that governments in developed countries provided SMEs with substantial incentives, tax credits, and subsidies to adopt 4IR technologies, which appears to positively impact the adoption rate. We conclude by developing a conceptual framework for the NIS necessary for the adoption of SMEs’ 4IR technologies in developing countries. IMPLICATIONS: This study contributes to the literature on innovation systems by examining the NIS of both developed and developing countries. This analysis allows us to gain deeper insights into how specific aspects of each country (developed or developing) affect (positively or negatively) SMEs’ adoption of 4IR technologies. Practically, it informs governments in developing countries on which aspects to focus on in their NIS to increase the rate of the adoption of 4IR technologies by SMEs. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: A distinctive aspect of this study lies in the creation of a comprehensive conceptual model delineating the essential components of the innovation system pivotal for the successful integration of 4IR technologies within SMEs. This model is designed to serve as a practical tool for governments in developing countries, providing a structured framework to facilitate and enhance the strategic development of their innovation landscapes.

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Adapting the Innovation Systems Framework to Sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Inclusive Innovation in the Private Sector: The Case of East African Tech Start-Ups

Inclusive Innovation in the Private Sector: The Case of East African Tech Start-Ups

ICT in Africa: Building a Better Life for All

Comparative analysis of national innovation systems: Implications for SMEs' adoption of fourth industrial revolution technologies in developing and developed countries

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