Private, public stakeholders partner to leverage technology for innovation

Private and public sector stakeholders are increasingly partnering to harness science, technology, and innovation (STI) as a driver of economic growth, efficiency, and competitiveness.

Speaking during a capacity-building training on mainstreaming STI held in Naivasha, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak underscored the need to break institutional silos and strengthen collaboration across sectors.

“We have been talking about how we can bridge the gap from 0.8 per cent all the way progressively to two percent of GDP,” Prof. Abdulrazak said.

“But the bottom line is to break silos, build synergies, build collaboration, and create centers of excellence so that we can be a fast-world-status country using science, technology, and innovation.”

The PS noted that the Science, Technology and Innovation Act provides the framework for embedding research, science, and innovation into national production systems, public sector programmes, and service delivery in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030.

He cited the STI Mainstreaming Performance Contract indicator as a key milestone, saying it has expanded reporting by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from 200 in 2020/21 to 324 in the current cycle, generating critical data for evidence-based decision-making and global benchmarking, including the Global Innovation Index.

However, Prof. Abdulrazak warned that Kenya’s investment in research and development remains low at about 0.82 percent of GDP.

“We must be able to collect adequate, reliable and correct data,” he said. “This data allows us to appreciate the human resources we have developed through innovation, both in the public and private sectors, and to inform our long-term strategy.”

He emphasized that innovation is not the responsibility of government alone, noting that collaboration with the private sector, academia and civil society is essential to drive sustainable innovation, improve service delivery and enhance Kenya’s global competitiveness.