Innovation under the Radar

Xiaolan Fu is the Founding Director of the Technology and Management Centre for Development, Professor of Technology and International Development at the University of Oxford. She led the DFID/ESRC research on 'Diffusion of Innovation in Low-income countries', and is appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the Governing Council of the Technology Bank and the High-Level Advisory Group of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism for sustainable development.

Xiaolan Fu, in collaboration with African colleagues, uncovers 'under the radar innovation' in Africa through a combination of pioneering surveys and case studies. The book offers important insights for scholars studying innovation and development and original ideas for policy makers in charge of preparing Africa for the digital future.   Bengt Åke Bertil Lundvall, Professor Emeritus, Department of Business and Management, Aalborg University

• Foreword Luc Soete; 1. Introduction; 2. Innovation in Low Income Countries: Received Wisdom; 3. The Economy of Ghana and Tanzania: An Overview; Part I. The Nature and Domestic Sources of Innovation in Africa: 4. Innovation under the Radar as a Response to Constraints: The Nature of Innovation in Africa (with Giacommo Zanello); 5. Open Innovation as a Response to Constraints and Risks: The Role of Collaboration, Universities, Clusters and Value Chains; 6. Innovation and Growth of African Firms: Survival and Growth; 7. Women Entrepreneurs and Innovation (with Mammo Muchie and Abiodun Egbetokun); 8. The Role of the State in Innovation in Africa (with George Essegbey and Bitrina Diyamett); Part II. The Diffusion of Foreign Innovation into Africa: 9. The Diffusion of Foreign Innovation to Africa: The Role of Trade, MNEs and Diasporas; 10. Social Networks and Knowledge Diffusion within MNE Subsidiaries; Part III. Emerging Technologies and Innovation in Africa: 11. ICT Adoption and Innovation (with Jun Hou); 12. The Diffusion and Adoption of Digital Finance Innovation in Africa (with Anne Kingiri); 13. Opportunities and Challenges of 4th Industrial Revolution for Africa; 14. Conclusions: Can Africa Leap Frog the Innovation Gap?