UNCTAD releases science, technology and innovation policy review of Uganda
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) produced the Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP) Review of Uganda which is an analytical instrument that hinged on interviews of STI stakeholders, as well as on quantitative data acquired from national and international sources. It outlines the context and framework for STI policy and innovation in Uganda and the innovation challenges in the agri-food industry and information and communication technologies (ICTs) sectors, and finally provides three sets of long-term, medium-term, and short-term policy recommendations. According to the report, for the Ugandan STI policymakers to meet the challenges and enable Vision 2040, they should embrace three main concepts: the Ugandan sense of diversity in oneness, the Ugandan capacity for communication, and the Ugandan entrepreneurial energy. Within this context, the future STI policy and its implementation should:
- Develop a common and nation-wide understanding of the primacy of innovation in STI processes, the entrepreneurial nature of innovation, and the need for a well-functioning national system of innovation (NSI);
- Involve the private sector and its innovative entrepreneurs in policy design and implementation, and recognize their potential in affecting transformational development beyond acting merely as financiers;
- Eradicate institutional silos that hinder communication and cooperation in policy implementation;
- Engage in a broad public dialogue with diverse sectors of Ugandan society; and
- Evolve a monitoring and evaluation culture that will provide factual feedback on policy implementation and strengthen institutional policy-learning and evidence-based policymaking.