Given that this is the first post, I suppose it impossible to know what “Innovation Ecosystem” will be about with any certainty. With that caveat, it is my hope that Innovation Ecosystem will be a platform to discuss the specifics of individual start-up companies across East Africa as well policies and politics likely to affect small business growth in the region.
It will cover entrepreneurs, innovation hubs, and accelerators as well as developments in emerging sectors such as the robotics industry in Nairobi; the growth of cash crop exports like Uganda’s tea industry, and plans for regional integration including a single customs territory (SCT).
The point is to recognize that the broad ideas of “innovation” and “entrepreneurship” do not occur in a vacuum. There is an intricate web of interactions – political, technological, financial, and personal – with the potential to greatly encourage and/or stifle growth. By recognizing each of these elements and sharing personal insights and perspectives I hope to contribute my small piece to advance the discourse on these often murky topics surrounding innovation in a region that shows considerable promise.
