
Presentation
TheCentre for Law, Technology and Society is delighted to present an OpenAir Network event:
About the Distinguished Speaker
Dr.Erika Kraemer-Mbula is an Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg, a Co-Leader of the OpenAir network, as well as an Associate Member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society at the University of Ottawa.
Abstract
Innovation and entrepreneurship are known to drive economic development everywhere in the world, including in African countries. Innovative entrepreneurs, particularly small start-ups, are able to transform business models, create new markets and change products and services at pace a that large corporations and big government organisations often cannot. In an environment where the opportunities offered by formal job markets in Africa are limited, and where persistent social challenges remain insufficiently addressed, African youth are increasingly looking to entrepreneurship in order to secure their future – sometimes while making a social change. This presentation will discuss the various modalities of so-called innovation hubs in various African countries, paying particular attention to the diversity of hubs and coexistence of traditional science parks and the new modalities of hubs, such Makerspaces. This presentation will explore the activities of the hubs in connection to young innovative African entrepreneurs, and in the context in which they operate, as part of the broader innovation ecosystem.
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