A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Kansallinen innovaatiojärjestelmä ja paikallinen tieto Namibiassa (National innovation system and indigenous knowledge in Namibia).
Authors: Lauri Hooli
Publisher: Suomen Maantieteellinen Seura
Publishing place: Helsingin yliopisto
Publication year: 2013
Journal: Terra: Maantieteellinen Aikakauskirja
Number in series: 3
Volume: 125
Issue: 3
First page : 136
Last page: 149
ISSN: 0040-3741
eISSN: 0040-3741
Abstract
Namibia, a developing country in southern Africa, aims to become a knowledge-based
society with a well-established national innovation system (NIS). Development based
on knowledge and innovations is considered to increase sustainability and contribute
positively to poverty reduction in developing countries, even if this causality is also
contested. Based on policy document and key-stakeholder interview analyses, this
research takes a novel viewpoint to scrutinise NIS as a framework of sustainable regional
development in Namibia. Particular focus is placed on indigenous knowledge,
the new source of innovations and an opportunity to root NIS framework better to
local communities, and include bottom-up approaches in policies. The study concludes
that to achieve the objectives of sustainable regional development and poverty
reduction, both innovation and NIS need to be defined broadly, and to be based on a
synthetic knowledge base and indigenous knowledge. Finally, the NIS will only have
positive impacts on poverty reduction if it has been strategically designed to tackle
these challenges and is implemented accordingly.
Namibia, a developing country in southern Africa, aims to become a knowledge-based
society with a well-established national innovation system (NIS). Development based
on knowledge and innovations is considered to increase sustainability and contribute
positively to poverty reduction in developing countries, even if this causality is also
contested. Based on policy document and key-stakeholder interview analyses, this
research takes a novel viewpoint to scrutinise NIS as a framework of sustainable regional
development in Namibia. Particular focus is placed on indigenous knowledge,
the new source of innovations and an opportunity to root NIS framework better to
local communities, and include bottom-up approaches in policies. The study concludes
that to achieve the objectives of sustainable regional development and poverty
reduction, both innovation and NIS need to be defined broadly, and to be based on a
synthetic knowledge base and indigenous knowledge. Finally, the NIS will only have
positive impacts on poverty reduction if it has been strategically designed to tackle
these challenges and is implemented accordingly.
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