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Understanding systems of innovation in Africa
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This original and timely book offers a powerful rethinking of how innovation is understood, analysed and governed in Africa. Rather than treating the continent as a peripheral case within dominant innovation models, the book places Africa at the centre of a new, more realistic understanding of innovation, grounded in its historical, political and economic realities. Using a political economy perspective, it demonstrates how innovation pathways are shaped by power relations, postcolonial institutional arrangements and evolving accumulation regimes, rather than by technology alone. What sets this book apart is its deliberate move beyond narrow, technocentric interpretations of innovation that continue to dominate policy frameworks and measurement tools in Africa. The volume challenges conventional approaches that equate innovation with science and technology, arguing instead for a broader conception that includes informal economies, non-technological forms of knowledge and the institutional foundations of everyday economic activity. In doing so, it offers a critical reassessment of existing innovation frameworks and indicators, showing why they fail to capture the full range of innovative practices on the continent. Drawing on rich theoretical insights and carefully selected case studies from South Africa and other African contexts, the book illustrates how innovation frequently emerges from informal systems, resource-based activities and socially embedded practices that are typically overlooked in mainstream discourse. It also engages with pressing contemporary issues such as ecological degradation, climate change, green energy transitions and the governance of natural resources, demonstrating how innovation policy intersects with debates on sustainability, inequality and development. By situating African innovation systems within broader discussions on dependency, development and (de)globalisation, this book contributes not only to African studies but also to global debates on economic transformation and innovation policy. At the same time, it lays a foundation for future research by proposing an alternative, heterodox framework for understanding systems of innovation in postcolonial economies. This book is aimed at scholars, researchers and advanced students in political economy, economics, development studies, institutional analysis, and science, technology and innovation policy, as well as policymakers seeking context-sensitive approaches to fostering inclusive and sustainable innovation in Africa.
This book is included in DOAB.
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Keywords
- Africa
- Climate Change
- Development
- economy
- green energy
- Informal systems
- innovation
- Natural resources
- Politics
- Sociology
- thema EDItEUR::G Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary subjects::GT Interdisciplinary studies::GTP Development studies
- thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCD Economics of industrial organization
- thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCM Development economics and emerging economies
- thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCP Political economy
- thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCV Economics of specific sectors::KCVG Environmental economics
Links
DOI: 10.4102/aosis.2025.BK548Editions