A Focus on Partnership Building (continued)

UNU-INTECH entered into collaborative projects with the following partner institutions in 2003.

Africa Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS): A MOU between the two organizations was signed for the development of modular workshops in Africa aimed at building awareness of the underlying technological issues in development policy and practice. Three workshops, in Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Senegal, were co-organised with ATPS in 2003. For details, see INTECH Highlights for September.

UNCTAD and UNU-INTECH collaborated on a study of the Iranian Innovation System in biotechnology and the role of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT), Iran. The study was based on the Science and Technology Innovation Policy (STIP) approach. The report of the UNDP funded study was submitted to the Iranian ministry during a project completion workshop held in Iran in December 2003. As part of the project, training on the STIP approach was provided for ministry officials and other policy makers.

The Nigerian National Agency for Biotechnology Development (NABDA) has asked UNU-INTECH to provide training for local teams carrying out a study of the Nigerian Biopharmacy Innovation System, funded by the Nigerian government and IDRC (Canada). The project is implemented within Nigeria's special initiative for Science and Technology, supported by UNESCO. UNU-INTECH has joined UNIDO, UNCTAD and UNESCO on the Advisory Committee for this project.

International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICSTD) . In 2003, UNU-INTECH began to work with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICSTD) in Geneva to identify centres of excellence in Latin America, Asia and Africa with which to develop training modules for policy-makers and negotiators dealing with 'technology transfer, trade and investment' issues in international fora. UNU-INTECH is currently undertaking a study on the impacts of biotechnology on agricultural production and competitiveness, as well as providing advice for the Centre's programme on trade and sustainable development.

New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). This collaborative research project will contribute to the implementation of the programme of activities that was endorsed at the recent African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology for Development organised by the NEPAD Secretariat and South Africa's Department of Science and Technology in November, 2003. NEPAD's Commission on Science and Technology is launching two initiatives to build capacity among policy makers on these issues. The first is the African Innovation Outlook, to undertake national innovation studies using the National Systems of Innovation Framework. A second initiative is a new book on Biosafety and Biotechnology issues in Africa to be edited by Prof. Norman Clark and Dr. John Mugabe (NEPAD). The main focus of the study will be the role of science institutions and scientists in making decisions on Genetically Modified Products - essentially asking the question whether science is driving executive decisions in this area. Commissioned country studies will be carried out in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In the initial phase of the collaboration, UNU-INTECH will develop a concept paper that will provide a coherent a framework and methodology for mapping national and sectoral innovation systems of African countries. The concept will be presented to policymakers and researchers at sub-regional and national workshops to be organised by NEPAD. It will subsequently be considered and used by individual countries to conduct NSI surveys.

CTA Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation. UNU-INTECH has reached an agreement with the Netherlands based Centre to train country teams undertaking Science & Technology Innovation Policy (STIP) Studies in six ACP countries starting in February 2004. During the 2nd Meeting of ACP Informal Working Group on Science and Technology, held from November 28 - December 03, 2003 in Wageningen, The Netherlands two UNU-INTECH researchers, Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka and Rajah Rasiah introduced this approach to top level scientists and policy makers drawn from the ACP countries.

For more information on UNU-INTECH's capacity building programmes, please contact Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka (oyeyinka@intech.unu.edu)