Entrepreneurship, Technology Commercialisation, and Innovation Policy in Africa

Dr Chux Uzoka Daniels holds a PhD in Science and Technology Policy Studies from SPRU (Science Policy Research Unit), University of Sussex, UK; in addition to an MBA, MSc and a Bachelor's degree. He is currently a Research Fellow in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy at SPRU; a role that involves research, teaching and supervision of postgraduate students, leadership and management. His current research areas cover STI policies and policymaking, innovation for transformative change, technology and entrepreneurship, indicators and metrics, policy evaluation, digitalisation, and capabilities. He is a member of the M&E Committee on the African Union Commission (AUC) continental Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024), in addition to various other high level policy, management and leadership roles. His on-going research and policy work include more than 10 African countries. He has delivered research and policy projects for organisations such as the AUC, European Union, Canada's IDRC, United Nations ESCAP, UNCTAD, the World Bank, GSMA, KPMG, and various governments across Africa. He is the Director of the Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC) Africa Hub. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM), Department of Engineering and Technology Management, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Dr Mafini Dosso holds a PhD in Economics of innovation and a Master II degree in Economics of Industry and services from the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France). Since 2017, Dr Mafini Dosso is leading the science-for-policy project "Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) with Africa" within the Unit B.3 Territorial development of the European Commission JRC's Directorate B. Growth and Innovation (Seville, Spain). Previously, she served for four years as an Economist and Policy Analyst at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Seville, Spain. Mafini has dedicated the first years of her career at the JRC to the analysis of technological and innovation trends of the world's largest innovative companies in order to provide evidence for industrial and innovation policies in the European Union (EU). She co-authored several international technical reports, articles and policy briefs on topics such as the dynamics of innovation in sectors and firms, the intelectual property rights (patents, trademarks, and designs) of companies, smart specialisation startegies, sustainable development policies, innovation and industrial policies, global innovation value chains, technology readiness and industry 4.0 both on sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. Prior to joining the JRC, she was a consultant and policy research analyst for various projects including for the Innovation Policy Platform Initiative, a joint project of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and World Bank to support innovation policy making. Mafini also belongs to the Grant Independent Technical Committee of the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) of the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET). Mafini has an extensive tracks record of keynote presentations and high level communications in French, English and Spanish. She is also particularly engaged in the promotion of place-based innovation and entrepreneurial policies and of youth entrepreneurs in her native country Côte d'Ivoire, in West Africa and beyond through international and local associations on the continent. Joe Amadi-Echendu earned BS and MS degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Wyoming, USA, and DPhil in Control Engineering from the University of Sussex, UK. He currently serves as a Professo

Chapter 1. Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology Policy for Transformative Change in Africa: perspectives, policies and practices.- Part I: Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Innovation in Africa.- Chapter 2. The readiness of innovation systems for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) in sub-Saharan Africa.- Chapter 3. Addressing gender challenges in STEM and ICT: perspectives from Zimbabwe.- Chapter 4. Mapping Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Technology Start-ups in Developing Economies: An Empirical Analysis of Twitter Networks between Start-Ups and Support Organizations of Nairobi's Digital Economy.- Chapter 5. What do we know about nascent and young innovative entrepreneurship in Africa?: insights and perspectives from Morocco.- Part II: Technology Commercialisation in Africa.- Chapter 6. Agricultural Innovation Systems and the agribusiness sector in Kenya: opportunities from smart specialisation policies.- Chapter 7. A Guideline for Technology Commercialisation in the 4IR.- Chapter 8. New entrepreneurial narratives in urban West Africa: case studies of five innovation hubs and communities.- Chapter 9. Corporate's Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) for SMMEs through Incubation Programme.- Part III: Future Directions for Entrepreneurship, Technology Commercialisation and of Innovation Policy in Africa.- Chapter 10. Research and Innovation Uptake landscape in Rwanda: Analysis of the STI framework.- Chapter 11. A Critical Review of Policy Instruments for Promoting Innovation in Manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa Entrepreneurship, Technology Commercialisation and Policy: Perspectives from SMEs in Africa.- Chapter 12. Challenges and Constraints for Government Agencies Supporting Firm Level Innovation: Some Reflections from South Africa.- Chapter 13. Mapping the potentials for transformative innovation policies in Africa: evidence from Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria.