Description

The CIC National Capital (Ottawa) Branch’s Africa Study Group (ASG), in conjunction with Open AIR of the University of Ottawa, brings you a presentation by Erika Kraemer-Mbula, Associate Professor of Economics University of Johannesburg, and Research Fellow & Senior Lecturer, Institute for Economic Research on Innovation (IERI), Tshwane University of Technology.

Background: Innovation and entrepreneurship are known to drive economic development everywhere in the world, including in African countries. Innovative entrepreneurs, particularly small start-ups, are able to transform business models, create new markets and change products and services at pace a that large corporations and big government organisations often cannot match. In an environment where the opportunities offered by formal job markets in Africa are limited, and where persistent social challenges remain insufficiently addressed, African youth are increasingly looking to entrepreneurship in order to secure their future – sometimes while making a social change. This presentation will discuss the various modalities of so-called innovation hubs in various African countries, paying particular attention to the diversity of hubs and coexistence of traditional science parks and the new modalities of hubs, such Makerspaces. This presentation will explore the activities of the hubs with young innovative African entrepreneurs, and how the hubs recognize the context within which those entrepreneurs operate, as part of the broader innovation ecosystem.

Registration

Advanced registration is not required.

Contact Person: Snookie Lomow – ottawa@thecic.org