The Art of Influencing Policy ChangeVenue: African Academy of Sciences, Karen Campus, Miotoni Road, Karen, Nairobi, KenyaDate: 1ˢᵗ – 3ʳᵈ July 2026 Researchers and development practitioners will soon convene for a specialized training course aimed at enhancing the impact of research on public policy and development outcomes. While research across fields such as agriculture, health, […]
In the lead-up to World Intellectual Property (IP) Day, celebrated annually on April 26, the Scinnovent Centre released its latest publication, Patents and Beyond: Intellectual Property Rights Acquisition in Kenya. The publication provides valuable insights into intellectual property rights acquisition trends and their implications for innovation and development in Kenya. The book provides up-to-date factual […]
On February 20, 2026, Dr. Maurice Bolo, Director of the Scinnovent Centre, paid a courtesy call on Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary, State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Nairobi, and briefed him on a study he conducted on Kenya’s intellectual property (IP) landscape titled “Patents and Beyond: Industrial Property Acquisition in Kenya – Facts, […]
The Scinnovent Centre, in collaboration with its strategic partners—the Association of African Universities (AAU), the ATDF Entrepreneurship Hub (AEH), and Solution Lab Consultancy (SLC)—is making significant strides in strengthening Africa’s science and innovation ecosystem. Through a regional initiative focused on supporting Science Granting Councils (SGCs), the project is enabling the development and implementation of institutional […]
Date: 9th April, 2025Venue: Daystar University, Kenya Weak intellectual property regimes undermine knowledge and technology transfer between universities and research institutes with other stakeholders, particularly the private sector. To address this, most universities and public research institutes have established institutional intellectual property (IP) policies; created technology transfer offices (TTOs), intellectual property management offices (IPMOs) and […]
This study is about foresight in science, technology and innovation (STI) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It was commissioned by the Scinnovent Centre on behalf of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) to identify whether and analyze how SSA countries are engaging in and with STI foresight (STIF) to inform research and innovation (R&I) priority setting […]
The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) held its annual Masterclass on November 16-17, 2021, focusing on “Public Engagement in Research and Innovation.” This virtual forum gathered 172 participants from 30 countries, including representatives from Science Granting Councils (SGCs), researchers, government officials, and partner agencies. The event explored strategies for increasing public involvement in science and […]
On March 30, 2021, the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) hosted its annual Masterclass on the theme of “Ethics and Integrity in Research and Innovation,” bringing together stakeholders from across the research and innovation sectors. This year’s virtual session welcomed 82 participants from 22 countries, representing Science Granting Councils (SGCs). The event aimed to address […]
The project was lead by The Scinnovent Centre, collaborating with Science Africa in Kenya and the African Association of Universities (AAU) in Ghana. This initiative, aims to enhance SGCs’ knowledge management and strategic communication capabilities to foster better science and technology policy-making across the continent 1. Communication with the Private Sector TrainingIn March 2018, the […]
Funding models for research and innovation are inherently linked to debates on economic development, technology catch-up, and leapfrogging, with innovation considered a key transmission mechanism. It is widely accepted that a nation’s economic growth depends on its capacity to educate, innovate, and build. This project examines new approaches to funding research and innovation in Africa, […]
The Art of Influencing Policy Change Venue: African Academy of Sciences, Karen Campus, Miotoni Road, Karen, Nairobi, Kenya Date: 1ˢᵗ – 3ʳᵈ July 2026
Researchers and development practitioners will soon convene for a specialized training course aimed at enhancing the impact of research on public policy and development outcomes.
While research across fields such as agriculture, health, engineering, economics, and the social sciences continues to generate valuable knowledge and innovations, the translation of research findings into policy and practice remains limited. Increasingly, researchers are being called upon to demonstrate the real-world impact of their work beyond academic publications and patents.
This upcoming course will equip participants with practical skills, tools, and strategies to improve the uptake and utilization of research findings in policymaking and development programming. Through interactive sessions, participants will explore critical questions around bridging the gap between research and policy, the role of evidence in decision-making, stakeholder engagement, gender-responsive policymaking, and approaches for fostering inclusive policy processes.
Participants will also learn how to effectively communicate research evidence, engage policymakers and stakeholders, and contribute to evidence-informed public action.
The course is designed for researchers, practitioners, and professionals seeking to strengthen the influence of their work on policy and development outcomes. It will be delivered through a hybrid format, combining both physical and virtual learning sessions to maximize accessibility and participation.
By fostering stronger links between research, policy, and practice, the training aims to contribute to more effective, inclusive, and evidence-based decision-making that improves lives and supports sustainable development.
In the lead-up to World Intellectual Property (IP) Day, celebrated annually on April 26, the Scinnovent Centre released its latest publication, Patents and Beyond: Intellectual Property Rights Acquisition in Kenya. The publication provides valuable insights into intellectual property rights acquisition trends and their implications for innovation and development in Kenya.
The book provides up-to-date factual information on the figures and trends of patenting in Kenya for the period 1990 – 2025. Based on panel data from Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), supported by key informant interviews from subject specialists and documentary/policy reviews, the book answers the following key questions:
i) Who owns the patents protected in Kenya?
ii) How do foreign (international) patent applications and grants compare with national (domestic) applications/grants?
iii) In which economic sectors are the most patents registered? How does this align with Kenya’s long-term economic blue print – Vision 2030?
iv) How do the patent applications and grants vary by gender?
v) How have the patent trends evolved in the era of devolution?
vi) What are the collaboration patterns across Counties and countries?
vii) How are the linkages and networks across gender, institutions and sectors?
viii) What is the validity and expiry status of the patents protected in Kenya?
xi) What policy and governance changes have led to the observed trends?
x) What policy reforms are required to achieve desired levels of IP awareness, generation, uptake and utilization?
The study has used the KIPI database of patent applications and grants from 1990–2021. It captures key trends, dates and compares filings and grants by various actor categories, economic sectors, Counties and gender. To the extent possible, this analysis has been benchmarked with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) database and trends over the same period. The WIPO database and trends are used as a comparator to the Kenyan (KIPI) database and emerging similarities and contrasts highlighted.
On February 20, 2026, Dr. Maurice Bolo, Director of the Scinnovent Centre, paid a courtesy call on Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary, State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Nairobi, and briefed him on a study he conducted on Kenya’s intellectual property (IP) landscape titled “Patents and Beyond: Industrial Property Acquisition in Kenya – Facts, Figures and Trends (1990–2020).”
The study, an update of work published 10 years earlier, highlighted changing trends in IP ownership; locality/geographical distribution (local vs. foreign IPs); economic sectors where IPs are applied and registered and their alignment with national development priorities and strategies; gender and social inclusion; partnerships and collaborations; linkages and networks; the role of devolution in IP and knowledge; as well as the contributions of universities, TVETs, other learning institutions, public research institutes, and the private sector. It also examined issues related to policies, governance, and institutions.
The Scinnovent Centre, in collaboration with its strategic partners—the Association of African Universities (AAU), the ATDF Entrepreneurship Hub (AEH), and Solution Lab Consultancy (SLC)—is making significant strides in strengthening Africa’s science and innovation ecosystem. Through a regional initiative focused on supporting Science Granting Councils (SGCs), the project is enabling the development and implementation of institutional frameworks that advance private sector engagement and the commercialization of research outputs.
Running from October 2024 to March 2025, this phase of the project is centered on post-training support for national councils. Key activities include:
Supporting technology transfer and commercialization framework adoption,
Uploading research content to the technomart platform.
Country Highlights
Malawi: MUBAS has made substantial progress with technical support from Scinnovent. Data collection for IP audits is complete, and analysis is underway. MUBAS has also played a mentoring role, sharing its journey and lessons at a regional IP Audit workshop in Windhoek, Namibia.
Tanzania: Since attending the 2023 Mombasa workshop, COSTECH has audited select funded projects and organized stakeholder training sessions. It is also supporting several universities in planning and executing institutional IP audits.
Sierra Leone: Led by NSTIC, pilot IP audits are ongoing at the University of Sierra Leone (Chemistry Department) and Njala University (ICT Department). A launch workshop was held on April 25, 2025, and the team has since conducted a peer-learning visit to Ghana’s MEST. Policy development is underway, including the drafting of an institutional policy for NSTIC and a review of the national IP framework.
Kenya: Scinnovent Centre is working closely with NRF Kenya to finalize both institutional IP policy and strategy documents, which are now under board review for approval.
Namibia: In March 2025, Scinnovent facilitated a comprehensive training workshop on IP audits, technology transfer, and commercialization in collaboration with NCRST, UNAM, NUST, and BIPA. An institutional IP policy and strategy have since been developed and published.
Côte d’Ivoire: Plans to initiate an institutional IP audit at FONSTI are at an advanced stage. A concept note has been approved, and contract negotiations are ongoing.
Senegal, Sierra Leone & Côte d’Ivoire: National-level stakeholder workshops have been held to pilot private sector engagement strategies.
Framework Implementation and Technomart Platform Integration
Councils have received tailored support in adopting the commercialization and technology transfer framework developed by AEH. Virtual meetings and one-on-one consultations have helped build institutional implementation plans. Meanwhile, councils have begun uploading research and innovation data onto the technomart platform. Training sessions and peer-learning exchanges—facilitated by AAU and UNCST—are enhancing familiarity and usability of the platform.
This project marks a transformative step in institutionalizing IP management and commercialization practices across Africa, paving the way for sustainable innovation ecosystems that can better engage with industry and bring research to market.
Date: 9th April, 2025 Venue: Daystar University, Kenya
Weak intellectual property regimes undermine knowledge and technology transfer between universities and research institutes with other stakeholders, particularly the private sector. To address this, most universities and public research institutes have established institutional intellectual property (IP) policies; created technology transfer offices (TTOs), intellectual property management offices (IPMOs) and commercialization divisions to facilitate knowledge and technology exchange. While the IP policies exist in some universities and research institutes (and non-existent in others), the TTOs and IPMOs are mostly under-resourced and under-staffed. The levels of IP awareness and support to researchers are equally weak in most of our universities. As part of its approach to promoting public – private partnerships (PPPs) for research and innovation, the Scinnovent Centre has teamed up with the Directorate of Research, Innovation, Commercialization and Enterprise (DRICE) of Daystar University to offer this sensitization seminar to the staff and students.
The seminar will be titled “Intellectual Property, Technology Transfer and Commercialization.” The focus of the seminar centres primarily on enhancing the awareness and capacity of Daystar staff and students on the role of IP in their academic and professional undertakings; the relevance of their creativity and intellectual pursuits to socio-economic development and introduce them to aspects of technology transfer; knowledge exchange and commercialization pathways.
This hybrid sensitization seminar is designed for faculty and students to deepen their understanding of Intellectual Property (IP), its role in research and innovation, and pathways to commercialization. Whether you are developing new ideas, conducting research, or preparing to take innovations to market, this seminar is for you.
This study is about foresight in science, technology and innovation (STI) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It was commissioned by the Scinnovent Centre on behalf of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) to identify whether and analyze how SSA countries are engaging in and with STI foresight (STIF) to inform research and innovation (R&I) priority setting and STI policy-making in general. The study is intended to inform the SGCI of international good approaches/practices of institutionalizing STIF in the countries, and what the SGCI can do to help build capacities for STIF. It is premised on the view that foresighting, which is about ‘strategic intelligence’ and ‘sense-making’ to identify and imagine possible futures, is critical in steering investments in R&I and STI policy to focus on long-term sustainable development aspirations such as those in Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The study is exploratory, conducted using a variety of methods. First, a comprehensive review of literature has been undertaken in order to provide conceptual clarity on what constitutes foresight in general and STIF in particular. The review also identified a number of international practices by selected countries that have institutionalized or are practicing STIF.
The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) held its annual Masterclass on November 16-17, 2021, focusing on “Public Engagement in Research and Innovation.” This virtual forum gathered 172 participants from 30 countries, including representatives from Science Granting Councils (SGCs), researchers, government officials, and partner agencies. The event explored strategies for increasing public involvement in science and technology, sharing experiences, and addressing barriers to broadening the public reach of research.
Dr. Konosoang Sobane, from the Human Sciences Research Council in South Africa, delivered the keynote presentation, which addressed the current status and challenges of public engagement in African research. Following her presentation, a panel of African SGC representatives—including TETFund (Nigeria), NCST (Rwanda), and NRF (South Africa)—alongside global partners like the UK Collaborative on Research and Innovation (UKCRI) and the Netherlands Research Council (NWO), provided insights on the complexities of involving the public in research initiatives. Representatives from Botswana, Uganda, Senegal, Kenya, and Namibia reinforced these discussions with additional African perspectives.
The specific objectives of the masterclass were to:
Review and document inclusivity (or lack thereof) in the public engagement initiatives of participating SGCs, in consideration with the pillars of inclusivity set out in the TORS.
Identify the skills and capacities of SGCs to institutionalise and implement gender-inclusive public engagement initiatives in their policies and frameworks.
Explore best practices in inclusive digital communication to enhance and transform the SGCs’ public engagement approaches.
Develop and recommend an inclusive, multimodal, contextualised and innovative public engagement framework with a clearly defined impact framework and theory of change.
On March 30, 2021, the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) hosted its annual Masterclass on the theme of “Ethics and Integrity in Research and Innovation,” bringing together stakeholders from across the research and innovation sectors. This year’s virtual session welcomed 82 participants from 22 countries, representing Science Granting Councils (SGCs). The event aimed to address current challenges, share experiences, and develop actionable strategies for promoting ethical standards in research across Africa.
During the event, participants discussed how the ethical landscape in research is constantly evolving, while many Research Ethics Committees (RECs) appear slow to adapt. This gap risks leaving African researchers out of crucial conversations on international standards. The group noted specific ethical issues needing more attention, such as managing conflicts of interest and preventing misconduct across research phases, from proposal submissions to commercialization.
The keynote address, delivered by Dr. Paul Ndebele, a leading figure in research ethics, was followed by a panel featuring representatives from Botswana, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. They shared insights on the practical realities of fostering ethics and integrity in their research environments. Representatives from the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) also contributed perspectives on how African researchers can better align with international standards while addressing local challenges.
The project was lead by The Scinnovent Centre, collaborating with Science Africa in Kenya and the African Association of Universities (AAU) in Ghana. This initiative, aims to enhance SGCs’ knowledge management and strategic communication capabilities to foster better science and technology policy-making across the continent
2. Knowledge Management & Communication Strategies Virtual Creative Workshop A two-day virtual workshop took place from November 10–11, 2020, bringing together 34 stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including science council members, scientists, ministry officials, and partner organizations. Among the attendees were representatives from the SGCI Initiative Management Team, the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), and funders like the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The workshop’s importance was to enable councils to address communication gaps, improve knowledge management, and integrate gender inclusion strategies into their operations. To allow councils to track and report scientific developments, ensuring that research informs policy and benefits society broadly.
5. The art of influencing policy change workshop Held on 25th -27th April, 2022 Mombasa, Kenya. Bringing together representatives from various science granting councils (SGCs) across Africa. The workshop aimed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge required to effectively translate scientific research outcomes into actionable policy advice for governments and stakeholders. This capacity-building event marked a significant step toward strengthening the role of SGCs in guiding evidence-based policy-making across the continent. The workshop provided an environment for participants to learn essential strategies to bridge the divide between research and policy.
Funding models for research and innovation are inherently linked to debates on economic development, technology catch-up, and leapfrogging, with innovation considered a key transmission mechanism. It is widely accepted that a nation’s economic growth depends on its capacity to educate, innovate, and build.
This project examines new approaches to funding research and innovation in Africa, highlighting efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness in response to decreasing funding from traditional sources. It finds that the importance of research and innovation is rated as medium to high in most African countries, with institutional and policy provisions for science, technology, and innovation (STI) increasing. New funding models, such as partnerships, co-funding, and multi-disciplinary approaches, have been developed to optimize resource use.
However, challenges like insufficient political will, lack of implementation plans, and uncoordinated STI efforts hinder progress. The project offers recommendations for science granting councils, governments, and other sectors to leverage global resources and strengthen funding throughout the research and innovation process.
