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| Addis Ababa |
African Leaders and
Researchers Deliberate On Emerging Paradigms, Technologies and Innovations for
Sustainable Development At the African Technology Policy Studies Network
Conference 2012
Press
release
Addis
Ababa — 2012-African leaders and scholars
from 29 countries from Africa, Australia, Europe, United States of America,
India and Africans in the Diaspora gathered in Addis Ababa from November 19
to22 to deliberate on emerging paradigms, technologies and innovations for
sustainable development in a post Rio+20 world.
Organized every
year by
ATPS in collaboration with its partners, the conference was hosted
at the new Africa Union Commission under the theme “Emerging Paradigms,
Technologies and Innovations for Sustainable Development: Global Imperatives
and African realities”.
The conference
and workshops reflected on a post-Rio+20 futures for Africa.
The
optimism that the Rio+20 conference outcomes was expected to deliver greater
global commitment to sustainable development and encourage countries of the
global north to step up development assistance to African countries was well
placed.
To make good use
of the global commitments to sustainable development in Africa, African
countries will need strategic transformative reforms in its Science, Technology
and Innovation(STI) knowledge structures, institutions and governance
structures, Agricultural and resources systems research and policy,
intra-Africa cooperation, knowledge circulation and networks and development
pathways that enhance transitions towards wealth creation for inclusive green
growth and development on the continent.
“Without
aggressive policies and commitment to build endogenous capacities on the
continent, Africa will remain a knowledge consumer not a knowledge producer in
the third industrial revolution,” said Prof. Kevin Urama, the Executive
Director of the ATPS.
Though Africa’s
scientific capacities and Gross Domestic Products (GDP) growth have improved
during the past decade, technological and innovation capacities remain low and
the requisite institutional and governance infrastructures are only just
emerging.
“Whereas
there are pockets of success in application of STI including the mobile
telephony and telecommunications, among other fields, which significantly
contributed to the sustained economic growth in the continent during the past
decade, the continent generally lags behind her peers in skills and
competencies required to fully reap the benefits afforded by STI for its
development,” he said.
TECH360
Correspondent