Introduction
The African Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems (AfricaLics) is an academic research and capacity-strengthening network focused on the relationship between innovation and economic, social and environmentally sustainable development in Africa.
Founded in 2012, AfricaLics connects African researchers, doctoral students, early-career academics, universities, policymakers and practitioners interested in understanding how innovation can contribute to development across the continent. Its activities combine academic research, doctoral training, mentoring, research collaboration, policy engagement and international networking.
AfricaLics is not a conventional charitable foundation. Instead, it operates as a research network that mobilizes donor funding, institutional contributions and academic partnerships to strengthen Africa’s capacity in Innovation and Development Studies.
Its principal activities include:
- PhD Academies.
- Visiting PhD Fellowships.
- Research conferences.
- Academic mentorship.
- Research Coordination Areas.
- Small collaborative research grants.
- Policy engagement.
- Webinars.
- Knowledge resources.
- Alumni networking.
- Research-methods training.
- Support for academic publishing.
- Innovation-policy research.
By May 2026, AfricaLics reported having more than 300 active members, three national LICS networks in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, and four Research Coordination Areas supporting collaborative research around important African innovation challenges.
History and Background
AfricaLics was established in 2012 in response to growing recognition that Africa needed stronger academic capacity to study innovation within its own economic, institutional and social contexts.
The network emerged from the wider Globelics community, an international network focusing on learning, innovation and competence-building systems.
AfricaLics was created because much policy attention traditionally focused on research and development aimed at producing specific inventions, while comparatively less attention was given to understanding the processes through which innovations are adopted, adapted, diffused and connected with development outcomes in African societies.
AfricaLics therefore developed around what it calls “research on innovation.”
This field examines questions such as:
- How does innovation occur?
- What enables or prevents innovation?
- Why are some technologies successfully adopted while others fail?
- How do institutions influence innovation?
- How does innovation affect inequality?
- What role does innovation play in industrialization?
- How can technological change support sustainable development?
- How do learning and competence-building systems influence economic development?
The network is multidisciplinary and brings together researchers from economics, sociology, political science, geography, development studies, science and technology policy, engineering and related fields.
Growth of the AfricaLics Network
Since its establishment, AfricaLics has gradually developed a continental research community through doctoral training, research conferences, fellowships and collaborative research.
Its first AfricaLics research conference was held in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2013.
Subsequent conferences have been hosted in countries including:
- Rwanda.
- Algeria.
- Tanzania.
- Cameroon.
- Nigeria.
- South Africa.
PhD Academies have similarly moved across the continent, with host institutions in countries including:
- Kenya.
- Algeria.
- Tunisia.
- Nigeria.
- Morocco.
- Ethiopia.
- South Africa.
- Burkina Faso.
This rotating model helps build local institutional capacity while allowing researchers from different parts of Africa to participate in AfricaLics activities.
Mission and Purpose
AfricaLics seeks to strengthen the ability of African researchers to produce high-quality, policy-relevant research on innovation and development.
Its broader ambition is to expand the number of African academics capable of advising governments, businesses and development institutions on questions involving:
- Innovation policy.
- Science and technology.
- Industrial development.
- Innovation ecosystems.
- Sustainable development.
- Economic transformation.
- Social innovation.
- Digital transformation.
- Agricultural innovation.
- Energy transitions.
AfricaLics particularly emphasizes strengthening the capacity of PhD students and early-career researchers.
The network seeks to ensure that African innovation policies are increasingly informed by research produced by scholars who understand the continent’s institutional, economic and social realities.
Innovation and Development Studies
AfricaLics defines Innovation and Development Studies as a multidisciplinary research area examining the relationship between technological and social innovation and development processes.
Innovation is interpreted broadly.
It can include:
- New products.
- New production methods.
- Organizational change.
- Social innovation.
- Adoption of existing technology in new contexts.
- Digital transformation.
- Development of new competencies.
- New ways of delivering services.
The research field therefore extends beyond inventing new technologies.
AfricaLics is equally interested in how technologies are:
- Adopted.
- Adapted.
- Diffused.
- Managed.
- Governed.
- Used by communities and businesses.
Researchers examine these processes at the level of firms, industries, networks, governments and global value chains.
Governance and Structure
AfricaLics is an academic network rather than a conventional incorporated grantmaking foundation.
Its governance is primarily built around:
- AfricaLics Scientific Board.
- AfricaLics Secretariat.
- Network members.
- National LICS networks.
- Institutional spokes.
- Research Coordination Areas.
The structure is designed to maintain scientific oversight while allowing substantial participation from universities, researchers and national research networks.
AfricaLics Scientific Board
The AfricaLics Scientific Board (ASB) is responsible for overall scientific and strategic oversight of the network.
Under the AfricaLics Constitution, the Board can include up to 15 members.
Its composition seeks to reflect:
- Africa’s five geographical regions.
- Gender balance.
- Different research backgrounds.
- Diversity within the AfricaLics community.
The governance framework also seeks to avoid excessive representation from a single country.
The Scientific Board is responsible for functions including:
- Determining overall AfricaLics policies.
- Appointing network leadership.
- Selecting the Secretary General.
- Determining the location of the Secretariat.
- Supporting strategic planning.
- Assisting with fundraising.
- Approving annual work programs.
- Approving locations and programs for major events.
- Overseeing the network’s development.
Current Network Leadership
As of 2026, Dr. Maruf Sanni serves as AfricaLics Secretary General.
He assumed the position in January 2026, succeeding Dr. Ann Kingiri.
The AfricaLics Secretariat is currently based at the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.
Dr. Justina Onumah of Ghana serves as Vice President on the current AfricaLics Scientific Board.
Secretariat and Research Capacity Strengthening Structure
AfricaLics uses a distributed institutional model.
While the central Secretariat is hosted at NACETEM in Nigeria, the current AfricaLics Research Capacity Strengthening project is managed through a team based at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Kenya.
ACTS is the grant holder for the current Sida-supported research capacity project running from July 2025 to December 2029.
The network also works through institutional “spokes,” including universities and research centers with strong expertise in Innovation and Development Studies.
This structure allows different African institutions to contribute resources and expertise rather than concentrating all AfricaLics activities in one organization.
Membership
AfricaLics membership is open to people interested in promoting rigorous research at the intersection of innovation and development.
Members may include:
- University researchers.
- PhD students.
- Early-career academics.
- Senior scholars.
- Research institutions.
- Universities.
- National LICS networks.
Membership can be obtained through participation in AfricaLics activities or through an application process.
Individual members can participate in network governance, including nominating and voting for members of the AfricaLics Scientific Board.
Membership itself is generally free, although registration fees may apply for conferences and individual activities.
Funding and Grants
AfricaLics activities are financed through a combination of:
- Development-agency funding.
- University contributions.
- Research-institute support.
- Event-host contributions.
- In-kind academic contributions.
- Volunteer work from scholars.
- Project-specific grants.
- Research partnerships.
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has been the most significant long-term external funder of AfricaLics research capacity-building activities.
Universities and research institutes also contribute staff time, facilities, academic mentoring and other resources.
New Sida Funding for 2025–2029
In 2025, Sida approved a new multi-year grant supporting AfricaLics research capacity strengthening.
The project, titled Optimising Research Capacity on Innovation and Development in Africa through the African Network on Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems, runs from July 2025 to December 2029.
The project is hosted by the African Centre for Technology Studies in Kenya with strategic oversight from the AfricaLics Scientific Board.
Funding supports activities including:
- Visiting PhD Fellowships.
- PhD Academies.
- Mentorship.
- Alumni participation.
- Conference travel.
- Research collaboration.
- Research Coordination Areas.
The project plans to support 25 African PhD students through the Visiting Fellowship Programme during the funding period.
Small Research Project Grants
AfricaLics has also used small research grants and seed funding to stimulate collaborative research.
An early competitive funding round in 2014 received 19 applications, from which six projects were funded.
Individual awards reached up to approximately US$35,000, with total funding of around US$190,000.
The projects supported collaborative research involving African scholars and generated outputs including:
- Journal articles.
- Research proposals.
- Book proposals.
- New research collaborations.
Small Research Project Grants continue to form part of the broader menu of activities envisioned within the AfricaLics research-capacity model, although researchers should check current calls rather than assuming that applications are continuously open.
Visiting PhD Fellowship Programme
The AfricaLics Visiting PhD Fellowship Programme (VFP) is one of the network’s flagship initiatives.
It was established in 2015 with financial support from Sida.
The program helps African PhD students working on Innovation and Development Studies:
- Strengthen research skills.
- Improve their dissertations.
- Develop academic writing.
- Build international networks.
- Access mentoring.
- Prepare for careers in academia, government or the private sector.
Since its establishment, the program has supported 50 African PhD students from low- and lower-middle-income countries.
How the Visiting Fellowship Works
For the 2027 cohort, the fellowship combines:
- Online training before the research visit.
- Academic-writing courses.
- Individual mentoring.
- Paper-presentation seminars.
- Participation in AfricaLics activities.
- A three-month study visit to the University of Johannesburg.
- Online follow-up activities.
The Johannesburg study visit is scheduled from 6 September to 3 December 2027.
Each fellow is matched with one or more mentors whose research expertise aligns with the student’s PhD project.
Visiting Fellowship Financial Support
The 2027 fellowship provides substantial practical support.
Covered expenses include:
- Economy-class return airfare to Johannesburg.
- Accommodation during the study visit.
- Travel insurance.
- A living stipend of approximately US$600 per month.
- Mentoring costs.
- Participation in joint training.
- Selected short-course support.
- Costs linked to designated face-to-face supervision and mentoring meetings.
The fellowship supplements rather than replaces the student’s main PhD financing, meaning applicants must already have basic funding for their doctoral studies.
2027 Visiting Fellowship Opportunity
Applications for the 2027 AfricaLics Visiting PhD Fellowship are currently open.
The deadline is 2 October 2026 at 23:00 East Africa Time.
Applicants must:
- Be enrolled as PhD students at an African university.
- Work on a topic relevant to Innovation and Development Studies.
- Preferably have completed their first PhD year by December 2026.
- Demonstrate appropriate academic and methodological preparation.
- Have adequate English-language proficiency.
The funded scholarship option particularly targets candidates from African countries classified as low- or lower-middle-income economies, with special encouragement for women and researchers from low-income countries.
PhD Academies
The AfricaLics PhD Academies provide intensive doctoral research training.
The Academies normally bring together approximately 25–30 doctoral students alongside leading scholars in Innovation and Development Studies.
Training focuses on:
- Innovation theory.
- Development theory.
- Research methods.
- Academic writing.
- Research design.
- Policy relevance.
- Presentation skills.
- Peer feedback.
The Academies also enable PhD researchers to present their work and receive feedback from senior scholars and fellow students.
Since AfricaLics was established, its first eleven PhD Academies had trained 291 doctoral students by May 2026.
12th AfricaLics PhD Academy
The 12th AfricaLics PhD Academy is scheduled for 2–12 November 2026 at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
The Academy focuses on Innovation and Competence Building Systems and is organized alongside the seventh AfricaLics Research Conference.
Participants receive training while interacting with leading Innovation and Development scholars.
The Academy also encourages doctoral students to consider how their research can inform:
- Public policy.
- Business strategy.
- Development practice.
- Innovation ecosystems.
Research Conferences
AfricaLics aims to organize major international research conferences at least every two years.
These conferences bring together:
- African academics.
- International researchers.
- Policymakers.
- Business representatives.
- Civil society actors.
- Development practitioners.
Their purpose is to present and discuss current research concerning innovation and development in Africa.
Conferences generally include:
- Keynote lectures.
- Academic paper presentations.
- Parallel research sessions.
- Panel discussions.
- Workshops.
- Networking activities.
7th AfricaLics Research Conference
The 7th AfricaLics International Research Conference is scheduled for 10–12 November 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Its theme is:
Critical, Retrospective and Creative Perspectives on Innovation and Society in Africa.
The conference examines issues including:
- Innovation and inequality.
- Sustainability.
- Digital transformation.
- Socio-economic development.
- Innovation policy.
- Social dimensions of technological change.
Research Coordination Areas
AfricaLics uses Research Coordination Areas (RCAs) to organize collaborative work around strategic research themes.
In 2026, four major RCAs are operating:
- STI Measurement in Africa
- Global Value Chains, Innovation and Industrialization
- Advancing Inclusive Agricultural Innovation for Climate Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Innovation and Sustainable Energy Transition in Africa
These groups help researchers work across countries and institutions on shared research questions.
STI Measurement in Africa
The Science, Technology and Innovation Measurement in Africa research area examines whether commonly used innovation indicators adequately capture African realities.
Questions include:
- How should innovation be measured in informal economies?
- Do conventional R&D indicators underestimate African innovation?
- How can governments improve innovation statistics?
- What metrics best capture learning and competence building?
Better measurement can strengthen national innovation policies and allow governments to understand how their innovation systems are functioning.
Global Value Chains, Innovation and Industrialization
This Research Coordination Area examines how African firms and economies participate in global value chains.
Research can address:
- Manufacturing.
- Technology transfer.
- Industrial upgrading.
- Firm capabilities.
- Trade.
- Local value creation.
- Innovation within multinational supply chains.
The objective is to generate evidence relevant to African industrialization and structural economic transformation.
Agricultural Innovation and Climate Resilience
AfricaLics also supports collaborative research on agricultural innovation and climate resilience.
This work considers how innovation can help farming systems respond to:
- Climate change.
- Food insecurity.
- Environmental pressures.
- Low agricultural productivity.
The research area emphasizes inclusive solutions relevant to smallholders and vulnerable communities across sub-Saharan Africa.
Sustainable Energy Transition
The Innovation and Sustainable Energy Transition in Africa initiative explores how African economies can develop more sustainable energy systems.
Relevant questions include:
- Renewable energy innovation.
- Energy access.
- Green industrialization.
- Technology diffusion.
- Energy policy.
- Just transitions.
This work connects Innovation and Development Studies with one of Africa’s most important long-term development challenges.
Mentorship
Mentorship is integrated across multiple AfricaLics activities.
Senior researchers support PhD candidates and early-career academics through:
- Dissertation feedback.
- Academic-writing guidance.
- Research-methods advice.
- Journal-publication support.
- Career development.
- Research networking.
Visiting Fellowship participants are matched with scholars based on the subject of their doctoral research.
AfricaLics has also increasingly involved alumni and younger scholars as mentors, often pairing them with senior researchers to develop future academic leadership.
Knowledge Base and Webinars
AfricaLics provides an online knowledge platform containing research and training materials related to Innovation and Development Studies.
Resources include:
- Research publications.
- Reports.
- Conference outputs.
- Academy reports.
- Bibliometric analyses.
- Training resources.
- Research guidelines.
- Briefing notes.
The network also organizes webinars on topics such as:
- Technology policy.
- Academic publishing.
- Innovation measurement.
- Emerging technologies.
- Sustainable development.
These digital activities extend AfricaLics beyond researchers able to attend physical conferences or fellowships.
National LICS Networks
AfricaLics encourages the creation of national innovation and development research networks.
By 2026, active national LICS structures included:
- NigeriaLics.
- EthiopiaLics.
- Burkina Faso national network.
National networks help bring AfricaLics activities closer to researchers within individual countries.
They can organize:
- Conferences.
- Workshops.
- Webinars.
- Research collaborations.
- Networking.
- Policy engagement.
This decentralized model also supports the long-term sustainability of the continental network.
Impact and Examples of Work Supported
AfricaLics measures its impact mainly through research-capacity development, stronger academic networks and increased production of policy-relevant African innovation research.
Its major achievements include:
- More than 300 active network members by 2026.
- 291 PhD students trained through the first eleven PhD Academies.
- 50 African doctoral researchers supported through the Visiting Fellowship Programme since 2015.
- Multiple international research conferences.
- Three national LICS networks.
- Four Research Coordination Areas.
- Collaborative research grants and academic publications.
Building a New Generation of African Innovation Researchers
One of AfricaLics’ most significant contributions is developing future researchers.
Doctoral students who participate in its programs gain:
- Research-methods training.
- Feedback on dissertation chapters.
- International exposure.
- Mentorship.
- Academic-writing experience.
- Professional networks.
Many subsequently continue participating as:
- Researchers.
- University lecturers.
- Mentors.
- Policy advisers.
- Research collaborators.
This creates a multiplier effect because former participants help strengthen universities and research communities in their own countries.
Improving Research Quality
AfricaLics programs are designed to improve both the quantity and quality of African research on innovation.
Fellowship and Academy participants receive support to:
- Refine research questions.
- Strengthen theoretical frameworks.
- Improve methodology.
- Analyze evidence.
- Prepare journal articles.
- Communicate findings.
Such training can increase the likelihood that African researchers publish internationally while maintaining strong relevance to African development challenges.
Supporting Collaborative Research
AfricaLics has also helped researchers create collaborations across national borders.
Its small research grants, conferences and RCAs bring scholars together around common questions.
Historical seed grants supported collaborative research leading to:
- Academic articles.
- Book proposals.
- Larger research proposals.
- New research partnerships.
The Research Coordination Areas expand this model by creating more sustained thematic communities.
Connecting Research and Policy
AfricaLics explicitly seeks research that can influence policy and practice.
Potential users of AfricaLics research include:
- National governments.
- African Union institutions.
- Businesses.
- Universities.
- Development agencies.
- Civil society organizations.
Researchers are encouraged to consider how their findings can inform decisions about:
- Innovation ecosystems.
- Industrialization.
- Agriculture.
- Energy.
- Technology.
- Skills development.
- Economic transformation.
Supporting Women and Researchers from Lower-Income Countries
AfricaLics seeks to broaden participation within African Innovation and Development Studies.
Women researchers are specifically encouraged to participate in programs such as the Visiting Fellowship Programme.
The network also gives special consideration to researchers from lower-income African countries, where opportunities for doctoral research training and international networking may be particularly limited.
This approach seeks to reduce geographic and gender inequalities within African research systems.
Institutional Capacity Development
AfricaLics programs benefit universities as well as individuals.
Institutions hosting conferences or PhD Academies can gain:
- Stronger research networks.
- International visibility.
- Experience organizing advanced doctoral training.
- New partnerships.
- Links with policymakers.
- Opportunities for future funding.
- Stronger postgraduate programs.
AfricaLics therefore contributes both to researcher development and the institutionalization of Innovation and Development Studies at African universities.
Why AfricaLics Matters
AfricaLics occupies a distinctive position within African research and development because it focuses on understanding how innovation actually contributes to development.
Technological invention alone does not automatically improve lives.
Innovation also depends on:
- Institutions.
- Skills.
- Learning.
- Markets.
- Regulation.
- Infrastructure.
- Social acceptance.
- Political conditions.
- Access to finance.
AfricaLics research examines these interactions and helps policymakers understand why innovation systems succeed or fail.
The network is particularly relevant to people interested in:
- African innovation research.
- Science and technology policy.
- Innovation systems.
- Research capacity building.
- PhD fellowships in Africa.
- Sustainable development.
- Industrialization.
- Digital transformation.
- Agricultural innovation.
- Energy transition.
- Global value chains.
Conclusion
The African Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems (AfricaLics) is a continental research and capacity-strengthening network dedicated to building a stronger African community of scholars working at the intersection of innovation and development.
Founded in 2012, AfricaLics has expanded into a network of more than 300 active members, national networks, Research Coordination Areas and institutional partnerships across Africa.
Its major activities include:
- PhD Academies.
- Visiting PhD Fellowships.
- Research conferences.
- Academic mentorship.
- Collaborative research.
- Small Research Project Grants.
- Research Coordination Areas.
- Webinars.
- Policy engagement.
- Knowledge-sharing platforms.
Long-term support from Sida, combined with university partnerships, institutional contributions and voluntary academic participation, has enabled AfricaLics to train hundreds of doctoral researchers and strengthen research networks throughout the continent.
The current 2025–2029 Research Capacity Strengthening project is continuing this work through PhD Fellowships, Academies, mentorship, alumni activities and collaborative research.
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