Supporting bioscience innovation in Eastern Africa: the role of the public sector

This policy brief describes a study conducted between 2011 and 2015 by the Stockholm Environment Institute and national councils in Tanzania and Uganda. The study examined agricultural bioscience and agro-processing innovation systems, concluding that while the public sector is the primary driver of bioscience innovation in Eastern Africa, structural and policy constraints—rather than technical knowledge—hinder the transition of research into market-ready technologies for smallholder farmers.

• The public sector is the primary driver of bioscience innovation in Eastern Africa, as the private sector lacks the capability or incentives to lead. Consequently, a 'triple helix' model of collaboration between the private sector, public agencies, and universities is necessary, with the public R&D sector playing a larger role than is typical in North America or Europe.
• The primary obstacles to the growth of the agricultural and agro-processing sectors are structural and policy-based rather than a lack of scientific or technical expertise. These barriers include poor conditions for entrepreneurship, weak market incentives, disconnected policy regimes, and a lack of affordable credit.
• Public R&D institutions in Uganda and Tanzania are often unable to disseminate technologies or adapt biosciences to local needs because they lack specific capacities. To improve, these institutions need technology transfer offices or staff to handle IP and patent searches, expertise to assess the commercial potential of research, and policies that reward entrepreneurial staff.
• Existing science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy frameworks in Uganda and Tanzania are generally too broad to effectively stimulate innovation. Some policies are actively counterproductive, specifically high import tariffs on agro-processing equipment and non-functional biosafety regulatory regimes.
• There is a critical shortage of financial mechanisms to support the transition of bioscience products from the R&D phase to commercialization. Current funding is concentrated in early R&D, leaving a gap in support for pilot tests and large-scale application, while venture capital and bridging funds are largely absent.
• The study identifies three key processes driving innovation in agricultural bioscience: using advanced biotechnology (such as DNA-marker assisted breeding and genetic engineering) to increase crop productivity; using modern agro-processing to add value to crops for food and industrial products; and converting agro-waste into energy and feed via biorefineries.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2016). Supporting bioscience innovation in Eastern Africa: the role of the public sector. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2016-bioscience-innovation-Africa.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Supporting bioscience innovation in Eastern Africa: the role of the public sector. 2016. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2016-bioscience-innovation-Africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Supporting bioscience innovation in Eastern Africa: the role of the public sector |date=2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2016-bioscience-innovation-Africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2016supporting, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Supporting bioscience innovation in Eastern Africa: the role of the public sector}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2016-bioscience-innovation-Africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }