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Scientific and technological breakthroughs do not necessarily lead to the public’s access to a new product. There is no automatic, smooth transfer from laboratory to product, and then to delivery and uptake by the user. For useful innovation and product development to happen funding, regulatory, production and delivery issues need to be resolved not only by African governments but also the international community, industry and civil society. In this paper we address three questions around this issue of transfer or rather translation, since changes needed are more systemic and more complex than simple transfer: which technologies do health experts consider have the greatest potential to address Africa’s health challenges; what are perceived to be the main barriers and challenges to developing or accessing those technologies; and what can be learnt from existing initiatives which are aimed at producing, supporting or promoting the procurement and application of science and technology (S&T) advances. To help us answer the questions we carried out a Delphi-type survey of more than 100 experts – especially focusing on prominent scientists and health policy makers in Africa and those working in global initiatives – and an extensive literature review.

Science, technology and innovation are vital to poverty alleviation and improved health. However, although improving immediate access to health care and existing health technologies is essential, simply importing technologies and products is not enough to create sustainable health care systems. Countries also need to build the capacities and institutions to develop their own technology and innovations which are tailored to local needs. But for innovation to meet local needs, countries need to develop dynamic and integrated health innovation systems. This is for several reasons. Firstly, there tends to be a profound lack of understanding between those in the world of healthcare and those who work in health innovation and production of pharmaceuticals. And unless researchers and producers network with local users and consumers, they are much less likely to respond to local needs. Secondly improved innovation capacity that responds to the needs of users does not occur in isolation - it is not the product of one-off scientific inventions, heavy investment in science or one-off policies. Rather it is dependent on networks through government institutions, private companies and a wide variety of end-user groupings at national, international and sectoral levels. Finally, knowledge is not accumulated and built up in one set of institutions and transferred to another set - it results instead from the interplay between different organisations and institutions. There is now an unparalleled opportunity to address both the issues of neglected diseases and to develop such integrated health innovation systems. Huge investments are currently being made in global health programmes which seek to improve health services and health innovation systems. The challenge for African policymakers is to adopt strategies for integrating global programmes with local and regional health innovation systems.

Trade liberalisation and changes in the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) have fashioned new dynamics in the pharmaceutical industry across the globe. Firms are forced to bring changes to their research, innovation, technology and marketing practices by a reconfiguration of their competencies and resources. The most common strategic concern that Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) has raised for Indian firms is the perceived need for R&D and technological strength. For firms that have given little attention to research and innovation in the past, this transition is very difficult. Indian firms have responded to these changes in novel and complex ways. Employing firm-level case studies, this paper examines the contemporary strategic approaches adopted by Indian leaders for integrating new knowledge and capabilities in order to develop innovation competencies for tomorrow. Using empirical evidence from firm-level investigations, this paper shows how Indian firms are evolving from reverse engineering outfits catering to domestic market to technologically advanced and sophisticated organisations capable of catering to diverse markets.

Trade liberalisation and changes in the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) have fashioned new dynamics in the pharmaceutical industry across the globe. Firms are forced to bring changes to their research, innovation, technology and marketing practices by a reconfiguration of their competencies and resources. The most common strategic concern that Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) has raised for Indian firms is the perceived need for R&D and technological strength. For firms that have given little attention to research and innovation in the past, this transition is very difficult. Indian firms have responded to these changes in novel and complex ways. Employing firm-level case studies, this paper examines the contemporary strategic approaches adopted by Indian leaders for integrating new knowledge and capabilities in order to develop innovation competencies for tomorrow. Using empirical evidence from firm-level investigations, this paper shows how Indian firms are evolving from reverse engineering outfits catering to domestic market to technologically advanced and sophisticated organisations capable of catering to diverse markets.

Scientific and technological breakthroughs do not necessarily lead to the public’s access to a new product. There is no automatic, smooth transfer from laboratory to product, and then to delivery and uptake by the user. For useful innovation and product development to happen funding, regulatory, production and delivery issues need to be resolved not only by African governments but also the international community, industry and civil society. In this paper we address three questions around this issue of transfer or rather translation, since changes needed are more systemic and more complex than simple transfer: which technologies do health experts consider have the greatest potential to address Africa’s health challenges; what are perceived to be the main barriers and challenges to developing or accessing those technologies; and what can be learnt from existing initiatives which are aimed at producing, supporting or promoting the procurement and application of science and technology (S&T) advances. To help us answer the questions we carried out a Delphi-type survey of more than 100 experts – especially focusing on prominent scientists and health policy makers in Africa and those working in global initiatives – and an extensive literature review.

Science, technology and innovation are vital to poverty alleviation and improved health. However, although improving immediate access to health care and existing health technologies is essential, simply importing technologies and products is not enough to create sustainable health care systems. Countries also need to build the capacities and institutions to develop their own technology and innovations which are tailored to local needs. But for innovation to meet local needs, countries need to develop dynamic and integrated health innovation systems. This is for several reasons. Firstly, there tends to be a profound lack of understanding between those in the world of healthcare and those who work in health innovation and production of pharmaceuticals. And unless researchers and producers network with local users and consumers, they are much less likely to respond to local needs. Secondly improved innovation capacity that responds to the needs of users does not occur in isolation - it is not the product of one-off scientific inventions, heavy investment in science or one-off policies. Rather it is dependent on networks through government institutions, private companies and a wide variety of end-user groupings at national, international and sectoral levels. Finally, knowledge is not accumulated and built up in one set of institutions and transferred to another set - it results instead from the interplay between different organisations and institutions. There is now an unparalleled opportunity to address both the issues of neglected diseases and to develop such integrated health innovation systems. Huge investments are currently being made in global health programmes which seek to improve health services and health innovation systems. The challenge for African policymakers is to adopt strategies for integrating global programmes with local and regional health innovation systems.