Kenya is seeking to bridge the gap between research institutions and industry to ensure that more locally developed technologies and innovations make it from laboratories to the market. This was the focus of a Research Innovation and Commercialisation Roundtable convened in Nairobi ahead of the Africa Technology Leadership Conference (ATLC) 2026. The meeting brought together researchers, universities, TVET institutions, government agencies, standards bodies, and private sector players.
The stakeholders noted that promising projects often stall at critical stages such as validation, certification, financing, and market entry. Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation Professor Shaukat Abdulrazak said Kenya has the talent and ideas needed to drive innovation, but must improve how research is converted into commercial products and enterprises. He emphasized that the country must show clearer results from investment in universities and research institutions.
Professor Abdulrazak called for greater involvement of the private sector in the research process, saying industry should participate from the early stages rather than waiting until a prototype has been developed. He noted that the country is producing knowledge, but the question is whether it can convert more of this knowledge into enterprises, jobs, useful products, and measurable public benefit.
The stakeholders proposed several measures to strengthen the link between research institutions and industry. These included the creation of stronger working links between academia, research institutions, TVETs, and industry around specific national and commercial challenges. They also proposed a national repository containing information on expertise, research outputs, and available facilities, alongside improved access to shared laboratories.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards emphasized the need to consider standards and certification requirements early in the product development process. Participants also identified intellectual property ownership and benefit-sharing as areas requiring clearer arrangements to give researchers, institutions, students, and commercial partners greater certainty when working on joint projects. TVET institutions were also identified as having a role in the commercialisation process.
Professor Vasey N. Mwaja, Chair of NACOSTI, said the discussions were intended to prepare Kenya for the October technology conference by identifying what the country can take to the regional platform. Ahead of ATLC 2026, participating institutions are expected to identify their leading research areas, researchers, facilities, and promising innovations as part of an initial national capability inventory.
The Africa Technology Leadership Conference will be held on October 22 and 23 at the Argyle Grand Hotel in Nairobi, bringing together government, academia, research organisations, industry, investors, innovators, and international partners. The roundtable also called for increased domestic financing for research commercialisation, including public funding, private-sector investment, matching grants, blended finance, and long-term capital aligned with the different stages of innovation development.
Key points
- Kenya seeks to strengthen links between research institutions and industry to commercialize locally developed technologies and innovations.
- The country aims to improve how research is converted into commercial products and enterprises.
- The Africa Technology Leadership Conference will be held on October 22 and 23 in Nairobi.
