Launch of African European Maker Innovation Ecosystem (mAkE) Project
By Chris Armstrong
Over the course of two days last week, 16-17 February, I and Open AIR colleague Nan Warner participated in the online "Kick-off...
Open Science, Intellectual Property and the South African mRNA Vaccine Hub
Authored by: Omowamiwa Kolawole, Caroline B. Ncube, Jeremy de Beer
Abstract: During, and in the aftermath of, the global COVID-19 pandemic, there were strong calls for...
Evidence-based Intellectual Property Policymaking
The intellectual property system is a crucial part of economic policymaking worldwide. It affects matters of profound importance, including health, education, nutrition, culture, science, technology and innovation policy. One might assume, therefore, that the global governance of intellectual property rights rests on a solid foundation of evidence. Think again. For over a century, intellectual property policy has been based largely on theoretical assumptions and political lobbying.
Open AIR initie un débat intra-africain sur l’informel à l’ère de...
Par Abdelhamid Benhmade
En collaboration avec le Centre de recherche en droit, technologie et société (CDTS), DST/NRF/ Newton Fund Trilateral Research Chair in Transformative Innovation, et,...
Le Big Pharma a-t-il raison de freiner des quatre fers ?
Par Abdelhamid Benhmade
Sans pour autant être d’un optimisme béat ni sombrer dans un pessimisme démesuré, il est clair que la dérogation aux droits de...
Upcoming research into informal entrepreneurs
Our Open AIR researcher Dr. Erika Kraemer-Mbula is continuing her exciting research in South Africa about informal sector entrepreneurs.
Informal entrepreneurship is receiving increasing scholarly and political attention in Africa. The continent’s booming youth population calls for an unprecedented need to create income and livelihood opportunities. Besides the traditional focus on formalisation, there is a growing interest in understanding the creative processes and innovations occurring in informal enterprises. However, evidence remains scarce, and research on informal enterprises still represents a relatively new and unexplored frontier.
Foresight Research on African Innovation: Pathways and Signposts to Scenarios for...
Authored by: Jeremy de Beer, Shirin Elahi, Yvonne Ndelle
This Working Paper 30 sets out the details of Open AIR's 2010-13 scenario-building process and the...
The Intellectual Property Treaty Landscape in Africa, 1885 to 2015
This paper maps the 130-year history of the IP treaty landscape governing the protection of, and access to, knowledge in Africa.
Women Empowerment in Cybersecurity Workforce in Africa
By Dianah Ajuna Byaruhanga
October was cybersecurity awareness month, and I was delighted to attend various cybersecurity conferences online throughout the whole month. I am...
Everywhere Still Invisible: Women and Their Traditional Knowledge
By Ghazaleh Jerban
I was so excited to be travelling to South Africa as an Open AIR NERG and QEScholar, in the middle of Canada’s notorious winter...













