Project Planning Workshop for Tanzania Introductory Remarks By B. Diyamett

1. Closing the Loop: Making Research and Innovation Matter in Developing Countries – Cases from Tanzania, Bolivia, Vietnam and Mozambique Project Planning Workshop for Tanzania Introductory Remarks By B. Diyamett

2. Objectives of the Worshop • As a background to the workshop objectives, I wish to very briefly introduce to you the concept of scienceofscience, technology and innovation policy, and the role of STIPRO in this. • Science of science, technology and innovation policy is a new and growing field of study within the social sciences. • In a nutshell, it concerns with the actors, their activities and relationships in the production, dissemination and use of knowledge.

3. Science of Science Policy Cont… • Science of science, technology and innovation policy seeks to understand these actors, their activities and relationships in the process of knowledge production, dissemination and use, with the purpose to evaluate , critique and develop them so as to ensure that the produced knowledge is put into use and have positive impact on society.

4. Science of Science Policy Cont… • The field produces a substantive scholarly work that advances our fundamental understanding of the underlying processes in knowledge production, dissemination and use. • with the overall objectives to inform public policies on science, technology and innovation. • The field has been given different names at different universities, e.g. science and technology policy, innovation studies, etc.

5. Introducing STIPRO • The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Research Organization (STIPRO), is an emerging community of practitioners in science of science, technology and innovation policy in Tanzania. • Basing on local evidence ( generated through research), it seeks to continuously inform public policies in science, technology and innovation to ensure maximum impact on society. • It is an independent (non-government) think tank • Other countries have put in place semi autonomous government organizations for this role (e.g. Ghana, Vietnam, SA has proposed one).

6. Back to the Workshop Objectives • It is a planning workshop for the project titled “Closing the Loop: Making Research and Innovation Matter in Developing Countries – Cases from Tanzania, Bolivia, Vietnam and Mozambique”. • A pre-study initiative to exchange ideas on the subject of the study, but also • A forum for scientists, science policy makers and science policy researchers to network and exchange ideas.

7. Some elaboration on the project subject matter. • The concept of “closing the loop’’, as applied to innovation process, expresses a desire to put produced knowledge into use. • There are two major uses of knowledge: i) Direct use by the end users for commercial and non commercial activities or decisions. ii) To inform policy.

8. Some elaboration on the project subject matter. • For most poor developing countries, very little knowledge has been put into use (both ways) and very little is known about the processes, problems and best practices. • The closing the loop project is a modest attempt to close this knowledge gap for the case of putting knowledge into use for commercial and non commercial activities and decisions.

9. Some elaboration on the project subject matter Cont.. • We systematically look at how knowledge is produced, disseminated and used in three sectors of health, agriculture and industry –comparing three countries of Tanzania, Bolivia Vietnam and Mozambique. • But also comparing the three sectors. • Major policy objective is to have some generalization on the best way to produce, disseminate and put knowledge into use in poor developing countries.

10. Thank you for your kind attention