This visit on the ground represents a crucial step in their 7-months mission to assist the country in developing guidelines for enhancing technology transfer/commercialisation and coordination of Innovation hubs.

During their visit, which took place from 2 to 9 July 2022, the PSF Expert Panel encountered a wide range of key R&I actors in order to collect significant inputs on how to effectively manage the rapidly growing network of innovation hubs and how to strengthen the innovation commercialisation process.

They conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with more than 60 representatives from about 30 institutions and organizations (governmental institutions, innovation/technology hubs, startups, incubators, universities and research institutes active in commercialization, international cooperation agencies, etc.), adopting an inclusive and holistic approach for better ownership and impact of the PSF service.

Photos captions (from left to right and top to bottom): field visit to Konza Technopolis (2 first photos),  a large technology hub, planned by the government of Kenya to be built 64 km south of Nairobi on the way to the port city of Mombasa. The future smart city aims to become the Silicon Valley of Africa, known as the Silicon Savannah. The PSF experts also met with the team of Adanian Labs, as well as a range of startupers and managers of  Innovation hubs.

Accompanied by the Policy Support Facility (PSF) Technical Assistance Unit, the international group of high-level experts has worked in close collaboration with the national team, led by Mr. Tonny K. Omwansa Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) – the requesting authority for this PSF service.

Following this field phase and further fine-tuning discussions with the national team, the PSF experts will start drafting a Policy Recommendation Report (PRR), providing evidence-based guidelines towards the development of implementation strategies to effectively manage the rapidly growing network of innovation hubs in the country; and guide and enable universities, research centres and other institutions of higher learning in Kenya on innovation commercialisation models. 

Kenya is the fifth to benefit from the Policy Support Facility, an innovative mechanism launched in January 2021 by the OACPS Research and Innovation Programme.

For more information, please download:

Factsheet of the PSF service in Kenya

Presentation of the members of the Expert Panel

Please also visit the webpage of the PSF service in Kenya