Ethiopia’s Ambitious STI Strategy to Boost Innovation and Drive Economic Transformation

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Ethiopia has unveiled its Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Implementation Strategy, a bold roadmap designed to elevate its innovation ecosystem and empower a home-grown economy. Approved by the Council of Ministers in 2022 and aligned with the country’s Digital Ethiopia 2025 vision, the strategy reflects an ambitious push to address systemic gaps in innovation and leverage local strengths to drive sustainable development.

In 2024, Ethiopia fell five places to rank 130th in the Global Innovation Index, signaling the urgent need to bolster human capital, enhance research capabilities, and improve market sophistication. Recognizing these challenges, the STI strategy builds on eight foundational pillars, including human resource development, research infrastructure, technology innovation, and intellectual property frameworks.

Minister of Innovation and Technology Belete Mola underscored the strategy’s importance, stating that aligning the country’s economic agenda with accelerated STI development is critical to improving the lives of all Ethiopians. The strategy’s co-creation process, supported by the International Trade Centre’s Netherlands Trust Fund V (NTF V), engaged over 100 stakeholders across government, academia, and the private sector, ensuring a participatory and inclusive approach.

Ethiopia invests less than 0.3% of its GDP in research and development (R&D), far below the African Union’s 1% target. This limited investment significantly constrains innovation capacity. Chux Daniels, an international STI expert, emphasized the need for increased funding and cross-sector coordination, pointing out that robust R&D is essential for industrial competitiveness and economic resilience.

The strategy draws on global best practices, advocating for stronger collaboration between industry and academia, a National Research Foundation, and alignment of educational curricula with innovation priorities. These measures aim to reduce Ethiopia’s dependence on imported technologies and foster local innovation, thereby addressing unemployment and environmental challenges.

The STI strategy incorporates a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress across economic, social, and environmental domains. Indicators are designed to ensure accountability and provide actionable insights for continuous improvement.

However, Daniels cautioned that innovation requires sustained effort, patience, and consistent investment. The success of this strategy hinges on addressing resource constraints, fostering private sector engagement, and maintaining robust governance.

By integrating Indigenous knowledge with modern research, the STI strategy supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including quality education (SDG 4), industry innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17). Solomon Belay Tessema, Innovation Advisor to the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, highlighted the importance of this integration, calling it a catalyst for transformative change.

Ethiopia’s STI Implementation Strategy is a call to action to elevate its innovation ranking and build a resilient economy. While challenges remain, the country’s commitment to turning policy into action signals a promising step toward achieving long-term economic and social transformation.