Political Economies of Science, Technology, and Innovation Policies for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa

How political economy (PE) shapes science, technology and innovation (STI) policy has received insufficient attention in the academic literature, especially for STI in African contexts. Recently, efforts by programs such as the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) have started to focus more attention on how PE influences African STI policies. Such efforts reflect long-standing expectations that STI will help African countries realize their development ambitions and are arguably intensified by the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although STI can play an important role in achieving the SDGs, classic PE questions applied to this challenge would suggest it is not straightforward. Levels of STI funding, who provides it, what is funded, and to what ends, are all choices that profoundly shape policymaking and how STI systems develop, with consequences for who wins or loses and whether the development will indeed be ‘sustainable’. Moreover, as we witness in the Covid-19 pandemic, even as ‘science’ is celebrated for rapidly delivering effective vaccines, PE dynamics affect how the pandemic unfolds in different ways across the continent, from the micro to the macro levels. Understanding these PE dynamics – in STI, research, and health systems, and in other areas such as climate change, economic development, and social justice – is crucial for understanding how to achieve transformative STI systems in Africa.

Much of the academic attention to STI in Africa is focussed on notions of scientific excellence, often measured in terms such as publications and citation counts. Little attention has been given to how science (excellent or otherwise) can lead to beneficial development impacts and how this relationship can be nurtured. Even less attention has been given to how STI systems are shaped by PE dynamics. As such, we have limited understanding of effective STI governance, structures, institutions, and capabilities, nor how natural endowments or social structures influence STI policymaking. And, there is almost no analysis of the role of discourse in shaping the development of STI systems.

Although there is some attention to these issues in policy debates, the focus is predominantly on the more ‘technical’ aspects of science, mirroring academic analyses around bibliometrics and citations. Some policy debate considers wider issues such as persistently low levels of funding for research and development (R&D) and the need to strengthen national systems of innovation (NSIs), where NSIs are characterized as weak in terms of capability gaps as well as suffering poor interactions among relevant actors and other stakeholders. But there is much less emphasis on broader issues related to PE dynamics and STI systems. Academic analyses of these issues would not only advance our understanding of how PE shapes STI systems, they could also broaden and deepen policy debates.

Building on the preceding background and description, the goal of this Research Topic is to unpack PE dynamics that influence and shape research, STI, and knowledge systems in Africa. Additionally, it aims to discuss how PE dynamics may help improve STI policies and policymaking and contribute to addressing the SDGs and science systems strengthening and achieving long-term resilience in Africa. The objective of this Research Topic is to deepen our understanding of the role of PE in research, STI, and knowledge systems strengthening in Africa, and to improve our knowledge of how ideas and narratives shape research, STI, and knowledge systems. By publishing a set of academic and policy-relevant publications it will generate new knowledge and help address the gap in the literature on PE in Africa contribute as such to the global knowledge on PE.

We encourage empirical and policy-relevant contributions that examine PE dynamics around the following areas:

• STI and research systems strengthening for transformation and achieving the SDGs.
• The role of PE in knowledge systems—knowledge production, distribution, and management.
• STI policies and policymaking, decision-making, and the role of the legislature.
• Sector-specific PE dynamics—for example, in energy, environment (especially climate change and biodiversity), agriculture, or health—that are based on empirical materials with fresh insights. Contributions in this regard may take the form of case studies that, for example, provide a basis for explaining the role of PE in addressing development challenges at sectoral levels.
• The role of PE in addressing the SDGs and social issues such as inequality, gender, and inclusivity. Contributions that speak to sustainability (SDGs) issues are particularly solicited.
• Contributions that explore how PE influences international vs national, and bilateral interactions in STI policy (geopolitics), research, and knowledge systems are also welcomed.