Presented as part of the "Moving Africa Towards a Knowledge Based Bio-economy" seminar on how agricultural innovation and in particular biosciences in areas such as breeding, agro-processing and value addition can contribute to economic growth and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Key questions of the seminar: How the millions of resource-poor smallholder farmers, so vital for food production and economic growth, can benefit from the prospects of a new bio-economy? How countries in Sub-Saharan Africa can develop programmes, institutional capabilities and bioscience innovation structures able to adapt and use technologies and know-how based on their own priorities and needs? How can Sweden assist countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to move Towards a Knowledge Based Bio-economy?

1. Bioscience innovation in Africa.
A tool for development.
27 September 2013
Ivar Virgin
Stockholm Environment
Institute (SEI)

2. MDGs and Poverty Reduction Strategies
has been the focus but…..
• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
and National Poverty Reduction Strategies
(PRS) have been dominating African
development efforts.
• The focus on MDGs/PRS is
necessary, critical and logical.
• However, foundation for long-term
sustainable economic growth is also very
important.

3. Fostering sustainable long-term
economic growth in Africa
!
•Increasing trade - domestic, regional and
overseas export important!
•Many African countries have not been able to
effectively engage and use international trade as
an engine of growth
•Long-term economic prospects for many African
countries tightly coupled to their ability to
integrate in the global economy.

4. Innovation and value chains
• The development of global value
chains (food,feed, bioproducts)
• Global competition between
countries to attract investments, jobs
and knowledge in the development
of next generation of value chains.

5. •Growing demand for
renewable bio-resource
• The revolutionary advances
in biosciences
•New production regimes
...changing the conditions
for the agricultural sector
world wide.................not
least for countries in Sub-
Saharan Africa

6. Some key questions facing Policy
makers......
• How can countries in SubSaharan Africa modernize its
agriculture sector making it more productive and
competetive?
• What are the future African cash crops/biological
systems, and how do develop value chains around these?
• How to take part and use the revolutionary advances in
biosciences?
• What type of production systems, what
infrastructure, what actors?
• How to get there? What specific
investments, capacities, policies and strategies are
needed?

7. …?
African countries
to large extent
agricultural
economies…

8. Way forward ?
• Countries in Africa using bio-resources as
a strategic base for sustainable economic
growth
• The development of a modern “Bio-resource
Economy” as an engine for economic growth
employment and resource efficient
bioresource utilisation

9. So what are the bioresouce demands...
and the challenges!

10. The Bioresource demand boom!
A demand for agricultural systems and
land not producing food and feed but
industrial products....

11. Climate change and resource scarcity
How do we meet a rapid
increase of bioresource
demand in resource
effective, climate smart and
in a sustainable manner??

12. 2013-10-03 Lars
Svensson/ Team
Spannmål
In Europe, crops yields been have been
stable for the last tventy years...lots of
emphasis on precision farming
Lars S Svensson / Lantbruk

13. .
Increased demand
have to be met mainly
by increased crop
productivity!

14. Modern biosciences a key
driver of the knowledge
based bio-economy

15. Bioscience innovation can contribute to the
development of sustainable bioeconomies
.....and the development just begun….

16. Whats on the horizon?
Soon (1-5 years), crops with Improved :
• Nutrional composition (vitamines, proteins)
• Disease resistance
• Drough tolerance
• More effecient nutrient uptake
Further away (10-20 years)
• Perennial crops.
• A new generation of industrial crops .
• More efficient phototosynthesis.
...More rescource efficient crops

17. Moving the chemical factory
to the fields........
2010 2030 ?
An opportunity for Africa...?

18. Everthing you do with mineral oils
youcan do with plant oils
Its a matter of costs !
1997
$17 USD $88 USD $100 USD $ 120 USD
2013

19. Biofuel and biofuels technologies increasingly
important world wide...

20. Converting waste into useful
products...modernizing the
agroindustrial sector
Huge potential for countries in Africa....

21. Value addition to
local crops
including,
sorghum, cassava,
millet...
...benefitting
small scale
farmers

22. Countries without competence to use modern
Biosciences miss the opportunity to use this
powerful technology to develop productive resource
efficient sustainable crop production systems for
food, feed and agroindustrial products

23. The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in
Africa
Calestous Juma, Harvard University
• …“biosciences can be for Africa what the IT
revoltion has been for India…”.
....but in order to benefit from the wide-ranging
advances in biosciences countries need to
increase their ability to develop and adopt
technologies and knowledge according totheir
own priorities and needs!

24. Green revolution vs Gene
revolution!
Back then…
• Green revolution driven by Public Institutions for
local markets (subsidies, protected markets)
Now…
• Gene revolution driven by the private sector
• The growing role of global, actors, trade and
markets
• Much stronger IP protection/IPR

25. Public sector is key !
• We have all these powerful technologies and know
how.
• Large commercial biotech/seed/technology suppliers
show little interest in technologies/crops where they
cannot protect their markets and proprietary rights.
• Strong public research efforts will be essential for
harnessing the benefits of modern biosciences to the
needs of small-scale farmers/actors in developing
countries.

26. Public R&D institutions must
improve their ability to collaborate!
Public R&D institutions engage in:
• Regional and international collaboration,
• public-private partnerships
• multidisciplinary innovation platforms
..... key factors in ensuring that the new biosciences
eventually benefit developing country farming
systems.

27. The Sida supported BIO-EARN Programme
1998-2010
Building Bioscience Platforms in
Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania

29. The BioInnovate programme
• One of the largest current efforts in Africa aimed at
strengthening bioscience innovation in Eastern Africa
• BioInnovate funds 8 bioscience innovation clusters including
both public R&D institutions and private-sector partners
• Bringing key bioscience technologies to the markets in the
region.
• Supports bioscience driven innovation on local crops in
eastern Africa (cassava, sorghum , millet, beans and sweet
potatoes).
• Supports African agro-process industries to be more
productive and sustainable converting agro-waste into
valuable products such as bio-energy, food and feed products
and at the same time reduce environmental impacts.

30. Biosciences Innovation
Policy Consortium for eastern
Africa
(BIPCEA)

31. BIPCEA objectives
• BIPCEA’s overall objective is to support the
development of enabling policy environment
assisting Bio-Innovate research project teams
successfully bring their innovations to
market.
• Identify policy issues/challenges in bringing
innovations to the market.

32. Four BioInnovate Technological
Systems/Projects.
• Crop improvement technologies for cassava,
sweet potato and potato
• Converting agro-industrial waste to bioenergy
and value added products
• Value added products from sorghum and
millet
• Industrial Enzymes for Sustainable Bio-
Economy

33. Conceptual framework:
Technological Innovation Systems (TIS)
framework.
Mapping the strengths and weaknesses of innovation systems
• Actors. Are all actors in place?
• Knowledge development and diffusion. Is there sufficient knowledge?
• Entrepreneurial activity is there sufficient entrepreneurship by private and public
sector actors in exploring market options for new products?
• Guidance/Policies Is there a conducive policy and regulatory environment
supporting innovation?
• Markets What are the market drivers for the innovations/ new products?
• Getting legitimacy Is there a public, political industry acceptance for the new
technology?
• Resource mobilisation Is there enough of financial, human and other resources?
.

34. Summary Table
Innovation
cases
Actors Knowledge
development
Entrepren-
eurial activity
Guidance/
Policies
Market
creation
Getting
legitimacy
Resources
Crop improvement
technologies
3 3 2 2 2 3 2
Value added products
from sorghum and
millet
3 3 2 2 2 3 2
Converting agro-
industrial waste to
bioenergy and value
added products
3 3 2 2 2 3 2
Industrial Enzymes for
a sustainable
Bioeconomy
2 2 1 1 1 3 2

35. •
Gaps and Barriers Policy Responses
Gaps and Barriers At Government level In the private sector
and R&D system
Entrepreneurial
activities
Inadequate
entrepreneurship
skills in the public
sector
Few small medium
enterprises(SMEs)
engaged in bioscience
innovation.
Limited public-
private partnerships
(PPP).
Supporting business
incubator services
Support the
development of
platforms for public
and private sector to
meet and discuss
opportunities for
collaboration and
technology transfer.
Incentives for
training of
entrepreneurship at
institutional level.
Market skills and
business opportunities
arising from public
R&D
institutional
technology transfer
units
Summary Inadequate
entrepreneurship
Support business
incubation and
Promote
entrepreneurship

36. •
Gaps and Barriers Policy Responses
Gaps and Barriers At Government level In the private sector
and R&D system
Guidance/Policies Policies and regulations
affecting innovation
largely uncoordinated
Few policies and
targeted government
actions lowering
barriers or creating
market incentives for
bioscience innovation
Standards and
certification processes
for innovation products
lacking
Functional mechanisms
for a broader policy
making process
integrating,
harmonizing and
strengthening policies
across sectors in
support of innovation
Improved government
policies for innovation
and targeted
government actions to
foster specific
innovation areas
Improve standards and
certification processes
for novel products.
Lobbying for co-
ordinated policies
Lobbying for specific
policies and targeted
government actions , e.g.
feed-in tariffs to sell
electricity generated
from biogas to national
electricity grids
Lobbying for improved
standards and
certification processes
for novel products
Summary Weak or stifling policies Improving processes Network and lobby!

37. •
Gaps and Barriers Policy Responses
Gaps and Barriers At Government level In the private sector
and R&D system
Market creation Market creation
Market actors (e.g.
farmers, SMEs,
consumers) largely
unaware of benefits with
new innovations
Government and
innovation actors not
sufficiently active in
creating a market for
innovations
Proactive policy
stimulating the market
for bioscience
innovation
Promote innovation and
support awareness of
the potential benefits of
bioscience innovations.
Government procuring
technology for key
projects visualizing
potential
Improve marketing
skills and activities in
establishing an interest
and demand for new
innovations.
Popularize successful
innovations
Lobbying for specific
government
procurement.
Summary Market actors largely
unaware of benefits
with new innovations
Promoting markets for
bioscience innovation
Improve marketing
skills establishing an
demand for new

38. •
Gaps and Barriers Policy Responses
Gaps and
Barriers
At Government level In the private sector
and R&D system
Resources Upscaling of
technologies and pilot
projects/”proof of
concept” and business
models essentially
lacking.
Credit facilities poor and
interest rates
unfavorable.
Venture capital severely
limited
Government to increase
support for and funding
for innovation for pilot
projects/”proof of
concept” visualizing
market potential .
Government to actively
mobilize support (from
development banks,
donors venture
capitalists etc) for
innovation.
Public and private sector
partners more actively
exploring opportunities
to share costs for pilot
projects and /”proof of
concept” visualizing
market potential.
Institutions to actively
market examples of
successful innovation
and opportunities for
profitable innovations
able to generate
economic growth to
various funding agencies
Summary Venture capital severely
limited, Upscaling of
Government to increase
support for pilot
Public and private
sector partners

39. Public institutions able to engage in
innovation and technology dissemination
 Establishing a Foundation for Innovation and Linking public R&D with
the Private sector.
 technology transfer/dissemination capacities,
 institutional IP policies and management capacities
 ability to manage collaboration and networking opportunities including
engaging in contractual agreements.
 Rewarding & Supporting Entrepreneurship
 Strengthen entrepreneurial skills at public R&D organizations,
 Rules/policies/incentives for being innovative and entrepreneurial such as
rewards, competitive salaries, career development opportunities, etc
 Encourage the development of public R&D spin-off companies;

40. Creating More Efficient Links
 Strengthening public–private partnerships
– Supporting public and private actors to meet and discuss collaboration
opportunities, technology transfer, adaptation and commercialization of
public R&D.
 Business incubation services
– Business case development, viability analysis and strategy refinement
– Market assessment and market access
– Business model validation and market testing
– Technology assessment (incl. IP assessment)
– Business plan development (feasibility; strategies)
– Assisting in finding financing sources for development and
commercialization

41. Improve Policies and Governance
Supporting Innovation
Policies, regulations at national and regional
level should be supportive
Clear goals, sufficient incentives, and
functional strategies

42. Funding R&D and Innovation
• Government innovation funds.
• The donor community can complement and
strengthen government innovation funds.
• Venture capital.
• Attracting more philanthropic investments.
• Providing incentives for local private sector
investment in R&D.

43. .
Long-term development goals and
visions on how to benefit from the
development of modern bioeconomies
some 15-20 years ahead
needed.....Where do you want to be?...
....and how to get there?

44. A small-scale farming system focus.....
 Many agricultural development initiatives in Africa
are now supporting value chain approaches.
 How to ensure that scaled-up value chain benefit
the rural population, especially women involved in
primary production?
 Smallholder agriculture is complex, often demanding
knowledge-intensive practices and skills building
 Building learning organizations and facilitating
coalition building among different stakeholders

45. The Role for Sweden and
the Swedish resource base?

46. Swedish private sector to collaborate with
African counterparts!
One example...
......AarhusKarlshamn(AAK) moving from processing crude plant
oils for the Swedish market to specialized oils, fatty acids for a
global market.
.......AAK collaborating with emerging agroprocessing actors in
Eastern Africa?
.

47. Supporting innovation funds and
providing venture capital
Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation developing a
innovation fund for
global health. Swedish
Sida contributes with
roughly 20% of the
starting capital!
Could we see a similar
fund for bioscience
innovation on African
bioresources/ag-value
chains?

48. Interdisciplinary analysis and
joint learning
• Development of an Swedish/European/ SubSaharan
fora on the prospect and the challenges in developing
an African bioeconomy.....
• Swedish actors could assist an “Africa driven”
interdisciplinary analysis of the issues and the prospect
and the challenges in developing an African
bioeconomy...
• Assist in developing a vision of an African Bioeconomy
in 2030, with the goal of producing a joint position
document that can be used by policy makers in Africa.

49. Thank you for listening!!
For more information please
contact
ivar.virgin@sei.se