Panel VI: Innovation in African Agriculture, manufacture and Services in the 4th Industrial Revolution : Closing Panel

Mammo Muchie(Inaugural address): DST/NRF Research Professor at the Faculty of Management Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa. He previously served as a Director of the Research Centre on Development Studies and International Relations, Department of History, International and Social Studies, Aalborg University in Denmark. Muchie was educated in USA and in Europe. He obtained his MPhil and DPhil degrees in development economics and science, technology and innovation studies from Sussex University, England under the supervision of the renowned innovation scholar, the late Freeman of the IDS/SPRU.

Raphael Kaplinsky is Honorary Professor at the Science Policy Research Unit, and is also an Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Development Studies and at the Open University. His primary research interests are in Globalisation, Global Value Chains, Inclusive Growth and Inclusive Innovation, the Terms of Trade and the Impact of the Rising Powers (particularly China) on Sub Saharan Africa, publishing extensively in all of these fields. Over the past four decades he has worked with policy makers, the private sector, trades unions and civil society groups. Since his formal retirement at the end of 2014, he has begun working on the green economy and urban regeneration in Newhaven and Lewes (towns close to Sussex University), and in Greece.

Bitrina Diyamett is a researcher and a consultant in science, technology and innovation (STI) policy, with experience of over 25 years. Her major interest and areas of expertise include: national systems of innovation; sectoral systems of innovation; development of innovative clusters; foreign direct investments and local technological capabilities; STI indicators; and linking knowledge to policy. She has consulted for the Government of Tanzania, UN Agencies such as UNIDO and UNESCO, Development Partners such as SIDA and the Government of Finland, African Regional Bodies such as NEPAD.

Ann Kingiri is a Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policy and development researcher with a focus on inclusive and sustainable development in Africa. She heads the STI, Knowledge and Society (STIKS) programme as a Director at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), a development policy think tank, working to harness applications of STI for sustainable development. Before joining ACTS in 2011, she worked with the Ministry of Agriculture as an agricultural officer, with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) as a phytosanitary and biosafety/biosecurity expert.

Mjumo Mzyece is Associate Professor of Technology and Operations Management in the Graduate School of Business Administration (Wits Business School) at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has over 20 years’ experience in the technology industry, the public sector and academia. He has (co-)authored more than 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications and successfully supervised over 30 students at postdoctoral, doctoral and masters levels. He holds a BEng (Honours) in Electronic & Electrical Engineering from Manchester University, England; a MSc (Distinction) in Communications Technology & Policy and a PhD in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, both from StrathclydeUniversity, Scotland; and an MBA from Duke University, USA.

Takesure Zhowa obtained Masters in OrganisationalLeadership and Doctor of Business Administration in 2011 and 2019 from Tshwane University of Technology respectively. Besides lecturing in Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing for several years, he has provided training in the manufacturing industry in South Africa. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Tshwane University of Technology, Industrial Engineering Department. His research focuses on supply chain management, innovation studies, and consumer behaviour. He is a reviewer of several journals in his field. He has supervised master’s research at higher education institutions in South Africa, Namibia, and Zambia.

John Ouma Mugabe is Professor of Science and Innovation Policy at the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) at the University of Pretoria, anda Senior Associate Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, UK. He is an Associate at the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) Geneva, founding Director of the Foundation for Innovation and Technology-Africa (FIT-Africa), Pretoria and Nairobi; and Member of the Board of Directors/Trustees of the Calestous Juma Legacy Foundation (CJLF), Boston USA. He is former Executive Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) Nairobi, Kenya, and former Director of the Office of Science and Technology of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Midrand, South Africa. He was a ProgrammeOfficer of the International Diffusion of Biotechnology Programme of the International Federation of Institutes of Advanced Study (IFIAS), Maastricht, in the Netherlands.

Swati Mehta is Assistant Professor at Punjab School of Economics, Guru Nanak DevUniversity, Amritsar. PhD from Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala, she was Visiting Researcher, Institute of Economic Research, Seoul National Univerity, Seoul, S. Korea with the award of International Scholar Exchange Fellowship (ISEF) Korea/CheyFoundation for Advanced Study during March-August’ 2019. Her area of research includes Innovation Systems, Global value chains, Economic Development, Manufacturing Industries in developing countries. Member- Globelics.

Rajesh GopalakrishnanNair is an Innovation scholar, Development Practitioner and Technology-policy consultant based in India. He holds a PhD in Economics and Masters and Bachelor’s Degrees in Agricultural Sciences. He specializes in Innovation Economics specifically Agricultural Innovations in Developing Countries. He has more than a quarter century experience in public administration, participatory planning and technology policy-consultancy. He founded the popular network of innovation scholars: CRIS-IS.ORG, Council for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection (CONCEPT-India) and co-founded the South Africa based Association for South-South Cooperation in Innovations Systems Transformation (ASSIST) with Professor Mammo Muchie. He is member of several International organizations and academic networks in the field of economics of innovation.