The European Commission is committed to promoting Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) as an essential tool to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by creating localised innovation policies that address specific sustainability challenges.

In line with this goal, the JRC developed a methodology to design STI-roadmaps for advancing sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa (STI for SDGs Roadmaps). The methodology aims to stimulate economic growth, improve social welfare, and promote environmental sustainability throughout the region and beyond. It adopts a participatory, evidence-based approach, considering local contexts and stakeholder views. This approach brings together stakeholders to meet each country's specific needs and sustainability challenges.

The JRC’s methodology is illustrated in the report 'Advancing Sustainable Development in Africa', which serves as a blueprint to develop several country-specific publications. The report emphasises the importance of capacity building, institutional strengthening, and international cooperation, and offers guidance to policymakers, international organisations, and other practitioners on how to implement and customise the JRC’s methodology in different contexts.

The report showcases the experiences of five participating countries:

• Gambia: focuses on enhancing food self-sufficiency through STI investments across the food value chains.
• Mauritius: targets the reduction of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), focusing on innovation for prevention and treatment.
• Namibia: addresses the resilience of rural communities to climate change, particularly focusing on the water-food-energy nexus and the role of indigenous knowledge.
• Rwanda: commits to transforming food systems to enhance food security and leverage emerging technologies.
• Seychelles: focuses on enhancing energy efficiency and promoting the uptake of renewable energy through innovation within the investment and industrial sectors

From key findings to roadmap implementation

The report highlights a set of key findings from participating countries' experiences, which inform the following principles for effective STI policy roadmaps:

• tailor the approach to country-specific challenges and opportunities
• engage stakeholders to create a shared vision and promote inclusive governance
• invest in STI data to track progress and guide policy decisions
• facilitate peer-to-peer learning to share best practices and address common challenges.

These principles can be implemented through STI roadmaps approaches such as:

• Challenge-oriented: addresses real needs using scientific evidence and normative considerations.
• Participatory: engages stakeholders for political commitment, local ownership, and consensus on STI investments.
• Systems: aligns STI support systematically, promoting policy coordination across various levels.
• Place-based: develops solutions tailored to local challenges, using diverse data for comprehensive analysis, with a particular focus on Africa
• Capacity building: promotes collective capacity building, policy experimentation, and mutual learning.

By applying these approaches, policymakers can create and implement effective STI policies that boost economic growth, improve lives, and support the Sustainable Development Goals.

Call to action

The 'Advancing Sustainable Development in Africa' report includes a participatory call to action encouraging continued support and collaboration for the design and implementation of STI for SDGs Roadmaps. The call was refined during a final workshop held in Pretoria, South Africa, on 23-24 October 2024, which convened African countries representatives, international STI experts, and relevant organisations.

Building on the project findings, the call is directed at national policymakers, the European Commission, and international organisations and investors, outlining concrete measures to leverage STI to address the SDGs.

• For national policymakers: engage local stakeholders, focus STI partnerships on sustainability, align policies with national strategies and SDGs, and tailor investments to regional needs.
• For the European Commission: continue dialogues on STI's role in SDGs, promote synergies in EU cooperation, and adopt a challenge-oriented approach for sustainability.
• For international organisations and investors: pilot STI for SDGs frameworks, collaborate with entities like the African Union Development Agency - New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD), and explore innovative financing for STI initiatives.

Background

In 2022, the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) launched the joint initiative "STI for SDGs Roadmaps in Africa". This collaboration aims to leverage Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) to drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The initiative supports the European Union's Global Gateway strategy and the African Union-European Union (AU-EU) Innovation Agenda, helping African countries to refine their STI policies and make a meaningful impact on the SDGs. By strengthening STI capacities and policies, the project seeks to create more inclusive and sustainable societies.