CREDIBLE INFORMATION ON INNOVATION ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA AND THE 2022 INNOVATION INDEXES

    ES Nwauche / Professor of Law, University of Fort Hare, South Africa / enwauche@ufh.ac.za

Two innovation indexes released in 2022 provide a snapshot of the innovation profile of the world’s economies.  

The first index is the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022 released by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and tracked the future of innovation-driven growth worldwide through data on innovation investments (research & development); intellectual property fillings (patents, designs trademarks); venture capital; indicators of technological progress [semiconductor speed, electric battery prices, the cost of renewable energy and drug approvals]; Digital Innovation Age [supercomputing, artificial intelligence and automation impacting productivity] and deep science innovation wave [breakthroughs in biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, new materials and other sciences revolutionizing innovations in health, food, environment, and mobility].

Since innovation is the ability to put goods and services on the market, different factors; endowments, narratives, and frameworks are crucial to a worthy profile ranging from a country’s research and development capacity; broadband access; educational facilities; healthcare, and intellectual property protection. Africa’s performance in the 2022 GII at best modest, if not poor. Mauritius (45th) and South Africa (61st) lead the Sub-Sahara Africa region, followed by a newcomer to the regional top 3 Botswana (86th) and then Kenya (88th). Beyond Mauritius and Botswana, Ghana (95th), Namibia (96th), Senegal (99th), Zimbabwe (107th), Ethiopia (117th) and Angola (127th) jump forward. Sixteen out of the 25 economies from Sub-Saharan Africa covered in the 2011 index improved their ranking. Botswana took the most significant leap forward, reaching 86th position, and in so doing, overtook Kenya (88th) among the top 3 for the region. Other notable improvers within the region are Mauritius (45th), Ghana (95th), Namibia (96th), and Senegal (99th). South Africa remains unchanged in 61st place. Mauritius ranks highest within the region in Institutions (22nd), Infrastructure (70th), Market sophistication (16th), and Creative outputs (31st). It leads worldwide in Venture capital deals (1st), and performs notably well in Trademarks (15th), ICT services imports (20th), and New businesses (20th). Botswana tops in Human capital and research (51st), and performs well in indicators such as Expenditure on education (2nd), New businesses (4th), Loans from microfinance institutions (15th), and Intellectual property payments (22nd). Namibia leads worldwide in Expenditure on education (1st) and performs well above the regional average on Human capital and research. South Africa heads the region in Business sophistication (63rd) and Knowledge and technology outputs (56th).

The second global innovation index is UNCTAD’S Creative Economy Outlook (UCEO 2022) which tracked the performance of industries relying on creative activities in different countries. These industries are generally understood as representing social and economic dimensions of culture, especially in copyright industries around archival and other information institutions; cultural and natural heritage; computer services; performing arts; festivals and celebrations; visual art; art reproductions; photography; crafts; advertising; architecture; design; books; periodicals; newspapers; other published works; audio-visual; collected information; broadcasting; interactive media; sound recording; music publishing amongst many. No African economy appeared in the list of top ten developing country importers and exporters of international trade in creative goods and services in a survey period impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Regarding available statistics, UCEO 2022 used information about Benin, Central Africa Republic; Mauritius; Morocco; Nigeria and South Africa.  

GII 2022 and UCEO 2022 largely reflect the poor innovation profile of African economies that require significant policy initiatives, technological leaps, and capital expenditure to improve. One feels that the poor statistics regarding coverage of African countries in the two indexes also apply to a lack of information on the key indicators of the innovation ecosystem in many African countries. Developing trade statistics indicators is crucial for African States because determining what qualifies to be included in these indicators is essential to ensure that innovation activities currently part of Africa’s informal sector are correctly accounted for in future innovation indexes.  

 

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