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

The policy brief argues that while modern bioscience is gradually entering Eastern Africa's agricultural sector, structural and policy constraints—rather than technical knowledge—hinder its impact. It advocates for a 'triple helix' model of collaboration between the public R&D sector, private sector, and government, emphasizing that public institutions must move beyond basic research to act as innovation hubs that link technologies to markets.

• The primary obstacles to the contribution of bioscience technologies to the agricultural and agro-processing sectors are structural and policy-related rather than a lack of scientific or technical knowledge. These constraints include poor conditions for entrepreneurship, weak market incentives, disconnected policy regimes, and a severe lack of affordable financing and credit.
• In Eastern Africa, the private sector is currently unable or insufficiently incentivized to lead bioscience innovation, necessitating a 'triple helix' model where public R&D institutions, the private sector, and government agencies collaborate. Public R&D institutions are essential for developing knowledge and transforming it into innovations for farmers and industry.
• Public R&D institutions in Uganda and Tanzania often lack the capacity to disseminate technologies or assess their commercial potential. To bridge this gap, they require dedicated technology transfer offices, expertise in economic assessment, and policies that reward entrepreneurial staff.
• Current science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy frameworks in Uganda and Tanzania are generally too broad to effectively drive innovation. Some existing policies are counterproductive, specifically non-functional biosafety regulatory regimes and high import tariffs on agro-processing equipment.
• Investment in bioscience innovation is overly concentrated in the R&D phase, leaving a gap in funding for pilot tests, large-scale application, and commercialization. There is a critical lack of risk-sharing mechanisms, venture capital, and bridging funds to help innovations survive the 'valley of death'.
• The study identifies three key processes driving bioeconomy innovation: 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} }