Inclusive innovation processes in Tanzania: From national policies to local practices in innovation hubs

Lauri Hooli, Emma Nkonoki and Ville Leppänen

African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2024, vol. 16, issue 7, 940-952

Abstract: Inclusive innovations have the potential to foster socio-economic development and actively involve local communities in innovation processes in sub-Saharan Africa. The importance of inclusive innovations is emphasized in the public strategies and development programmes in the region. Nevertheless, despite some donor-funded initiatives, there remains a lack of systematic knowledge on how to effectively implement inclusive innovation in communities. This research aims to scrutinize the role of inclusive innovation in Tanzania. We conduct policy analyses of the country's official innovation strategies and investigate the inclusive innovation activities undertaken by 12 innovation hubs. These hubs facilitate interactions among diverse actors, provide necessary facilities and technologies, and offer mentorship and peer support. Our results reveal that the definition and significance of inclusive innovation are presented within the national policies. However, implementation programmes are currently modest and scattered. With a few exceptions, innovation hubs have inadequate understanding and limited resources for implementing inclusive innovations in practice. This research contributes by underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies, capacity-building initiatives, and collaborative efforts to fully leverage inclusive innovation for sustainable development in the region.

Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/20421338.2024.2398835 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:rajsxx:v:16:y:2024:i:7:p:940-952

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/rajs20

DOI: 10.1080/20421338.2024.2398835

Access Statistics for this article

African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development is currently edited by None

More articles in African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().