The potential of STI for inclusive and sustainable development in Africa:...
By Wondwossen Belete
Late last year, I attended four
events concerning science, technology, and innovation in Africa. I was honored
to be a speaker in three of...
Reliving the “Transforming Africa: Innovating Our Way Towards Sustainability” 2024 Conference
Khadiga Hassan
The Department of Science and Innovation and the South African National Research Foundation (DSI/NRF) Trilateral Chair in Transformative Innovation, the 4IR and Sustainable...
Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence – Southern Africa
Open AIR has two co-hubs in Southern Africa: the Intellectual Property Unit (IP) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and the University of...
Common Misconceptions of Patents in Egypt
Earlier this year, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held a two-day workshop on “Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Use the Intellectual Property System in Their Competitive Strategy” at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in Cairo, Egypt, which some of our Open AIR NERG members attended. The goal of this meeting was to discuss how to encourage young innovators to protect their inventions by patenting them at the Egyptian Patent Office. The workshop had vibrant and sometimes heated discussions between these innovators and government officials regarding many of the obstacles faced in the patenting process in Egypt.
Recognizing Africa’s innovation revolution: Leaders driving inclusive innovation receive Impact award
Solutions to some of society’s most important challenges require the right regulatory environment to drive innovation. Examples include pioneering models for access to educational...
A Data Commons for Food Security
Agricultural data is globally recognized for its importance in addressing food insecurity. We propose a ‘data commons’, formed through a licensing model that allows farmers to benefit from the datasets to which they contribute.
How DIY Biology can Improve Access to Digital Agricultural Technologies
By Vipal Jain
Digital agricultural research is transforming the way crops are developed. New tools can speed up the ability to produce crops with higher...
Maker spaces in developing countries: Sites of innovation despite simultaneous challenges
by Mohamed Hosny
In the past few years, there have been several initiatives to help entrepreneurs introduce new creative and innovative products that break from...
Meet Open AIR’s New and Emerging Researchers Group (NERG)
First Stop, the American University in Cairo
By the AUC New and Emerging Research Group and Meika Ellis
Under the masterful guidance of our North African...
Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in Southwest States of Nigeria
By Esther Adekunbi
Gender equality
is a very important issue in today’s world, while also a fraught debate. Gender
equality can be achieved when men and women...













