Science – Business Nexus to Boost Intra-African Trade
We recognize that achieving agricultural transformation in Africa requires an African-owned and African-led process that articulates the science, technology, extension, innovations, policy and social learning that Africa needs to apply in order to meet its agricultural and overall development goals. This requires strengthened collaboration across multiple sectors and the increasingly connected global community. The goal of strengthening science-business linkages is to promote the relevance and contribution of research to boost intra-African trade. This is against the backdrop that trade has been widely accepted as a critical engine of economic growth and development. Nonetheless, the AUC-African Continental Free Trade Agreement acknowledges that “the failure of African trade to serve as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth and poverty alleviation stems partly from its size, structure and direction”. As such, discussions within this sub-theme are not siloed but cross-cutting solutions are used to solve complex developmental challenges. Therefore, discussions during the 8th AASW will help identify the bottlenecks in linking science to business, explore possible avenues and strategies for strengthening the science-business nexus, and identify leverage points for boosting intra-African trade.
