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Technological Catch-Up, Innovation, and Productivity Analysis of National Innovation Systems in Developing Countries in Africa 2010–2018

June 2023
Journal of the Knowledge Economy 15(2):1-27

DOI:10.1007/s13132-023-01327-4

Authors:

Simon Ndicu

Kenyatta University(Mama Ngina University College)

Diana Ngui

African Economic Research Consortium

Laura Barasa

University of Nairobi

This study investigates the levels and determinants of regional innovation catch-up, frontier shift, and productivity growth of African national innovation systems from 2010 to 2018. The study relied on the World Development Indicators data for 28 African countries. Non-radial non-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and bootstrapped truncated regression were the central estimation methodologies. The results revealed that 18% of Africa’s national innovation systems had experienced progress in the catch-up and frontier shift indexes. Further results showed that 21% had experienced total factor productivity growth. Nigeria and South Africa were on the region’s efficient frontier and had achieved the most technological advancement. In addition, Ghana and Senegal had the most productive national innovation systems. The results suggested that national innovation systems in Africa had experienced marginal progress. Further results indicate that the population growth rate and GDP per capita are the critical determinants of African national innovation systems, efficiency, technical efficiency, and productivity performance. Consequently, the implications of the results to policy are twofold. First, African countries should use benchmarking practices with the region’s best-performing national innovation systems. Lastly, African countries have the potential to grow their economies through regional collaborative Science, Technology, and Innovation practices.

The trend of efficiency change (CU), technical progress (FS), and productivity growth (MI) of Africa’s regional innovation system 2010–2018

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Vol.:(0123456789)

Journal of the Knowledge Economy (2024) 15:7941–7967

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01327-4

1 3

Technological Catch‑Up, Innovation, andProductivity

Analysis ofNational Innovation Systems inDeveloping

Countries inAfrica 2010–2018

SimonNdicu1 · DianahNgui2· LauraBarasa3

Received: 12 March 2022 / Accepted: 25 February 2023 / Published online: 5 June 2023

2023

Abstract

This study investigates the levels and determinants of regional innovation catch-up,

frontier shift, and productivity growth of African national innovation systems from

2010 to 2018. The study relied on the World Development Indicators data for 28

African countries. Non-radial non-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and

bootstrapped truncated regression were the central estimation methodologies. The

results revealed that 18% of Africa’s national innovation systems had experienced

progress in the catch-up and frontier shift indexes. Further results showed that 21%

had experienced total factor productivity growth. Nigeria and South Africa were on

the region’s eﬃcient frontier and had achieved the most technological advancement.

In addition, Ghana and Senegal had the most productive national innovation sys-

tems. The results suggested that national innovation systems in Africa had experi-

enced marginal progress. Further results indicate that the population growth rate and

GDP per capita are the critical determinants of African national innovation systems,

eﬃciency, technical eﬃciency, and productivity performance. Consequently, the

implications of the results to policy are twofold. First, African countries should use

benchmarking practices with the region’s best-performing national innovation sys-

tems. Lastly, African countries have the potential to grow their economies through

regional collaborative Science, Technology, and Innovation practices.

Keywords National innovation system· Regional innovation system· Innovation

eﬃciency· Malmquist productivity index (MPI)

* Simon Ndicu

ndungu.simon@mnu.ac.ke; simonndicu8@gmail.com

1 Department ofEconomics andFinance, Mama Ngina University College (Constituent College

ofKenyatta University), P. O. Box444-01030, Gatundu, Kenya

2 Department ofEconometrics andStatistics, Kenyatta University, P. O. Box43844-00100,

Nairobi, Kenya

3 Department ofEconomics andDevelopment Studies, University ofNairobi,

P. O. Box30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.

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