Unpacking Knowledge Systems for sustainable development in East Africa : Practical perspectives from Kenya , Rwanda and Tanzania

Many Low-Middle Income Countries (LMIC) are embracing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) as a means of catalysing their development agenda and achieving the post2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). A number of LMICs, especially those in subSaharan Africa (SSA), are now attempting to strengthen STI systems with new policies, institutional arrangements and investments. These countries are further motivated by the desire to speed up Africa’s transition to an innovation-led, knowledge-based economy. Indeed, the African Union’s STI Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024) and its Agenda 2063 (‘The Africa We Want’) are strongly pushing innovation agendas – including green innovation and business innovation – as catalysts for the continent’s prosperity.