Template-type: ReDif-Paper 1.0 Author-Name: Vallejo, Bertha Title: Industrializing Africa Abstract: Despite the interest in African industrialization, sub-Saharan Africa’s path towards science, technology and innovation (STI)-led development has been slow. The underdeveloped capacity for dynamic interactions among the actors in the innovation system (i.e., firms, knowledge centers, governments, and civil society) has contributed to this slow development. Innovation capacity results from technological efforts by firms over time, but these efforts should align with the firms’ characteristics and environment. The large pool of small and medium firms in African manufacturing should be considered when designing STI policies. The context within which these policies are implemented is critical for the evolution of the innovation system and the dynamism of its actors. Classification-JEL: o14,o39,o55 Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers Creation-Date: 20240813 Number: 2024-019 File-URL: https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ws/files/211872337/wp2024-019.pdf File-Format: application/pdf File-Size: 1029538 Handle: Repec:unm:unumer:2024019 DOI: