Technological Innovation Must Power Economic Growth in Africa

Francis Gurry, DG of WIPO

Technology, science and innovation play a key role in the development of Africa, United Nations officials stressed today, calling on policymakers to redouble their efforts to support this field and form partnerships that harness its power.

During a March 2013 meeting with more than 20 African ministers in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Francis Gurry, said policymakers had “a unique opportunity to define the key role that science, technology and innovation can play in achieving the development goals of the African continent.”

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Wu Hongbo, underlined the link between technology and economic growth, and noted that technological progress can be used to achieve the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their 2015 deadline.

Green technologies can help facilitate access to energy, while innovations in the health sector can enhance service delivery. In addition, innovation in agricultural productivity can ensure food security to growing populations.

“Innovation is the essence of our modern society. Without harnessing its power, we will not be able to create healthy, educated or inclusive societies.”

– Francis Gurry

“With a fast approaching MDG deadline and transition to a post-2015 development era, innovation is a very timely topic,” Mr. Wu said. “Innovation is needed to meet our common development goals, it is important in the final push for the MDGs and in unleashing the potential for sustainable development.”

The President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Néstor Osorio, said the African continent in particular holds a great and unexploited potential that with innovation could foster job creation and the development of cultural industries, leading to increased economic growth.

“Innovation is the essence of our modern society. Without harnessing its power, we will not be able to create healthy, educated or inclusive societies,” he said. “Greater efforts are needed to build partnerships among government, private sector, civil society, academia, philanthropic organizations and the international community, to promote and spread innovation for sustainable development in Africa,” he added.

The meeting was held in preparation for ECOSOC’s Annual Ministerial Review, which will take place in Geneva at the beginning of July.

CFI

Recent Posts

Big Blue’s Big Bet: How IBM Transformed Itself for the Age of AI and Cloud

For much of the 20th century, IBM—known affectionately as “Big Blue”—was synonymous with computing. Its…

1 day ago

The Promise and Pressure of the UK’s AI Aspirations

With world-class universities, a vibrant startup ecosystem and renewed strategic investment, the United Kingdom has…

2 weeks ago

The iRenaissance: How Apple Went from Near-Death to World Domination

In the late 1990s, Apple was teetering on the brink of collapse. A decade later,…

2 weeks ago

A JUUL of an Idea… That May Have Got Most of it Wrong

Vaping is big business, and few companies have seen the spectacular growth — and subsequent…

2 weeks ago

Portobello Capital: Driving Growth and Industry Leadership in Iberian Private Equity

Portobello Capital has cemented its position as the leading mid-market private equity firm in Spain,…

2 weeks ago

The Midas Touch, or Not So Much? The Mythical Metal vs Shares

Gold is the age-old standard that once underpinned our modern currencies; what value does it…

3 weeks ago