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Visit to Cameroon of the Policy Support Facility (PSF) experts

Spanning nearly two weeks, from 7 to 20 July 2022, this fieldwork with key actors in Cameroon’s research and innovation field marks an important milestone in the Expert panel’s 7-month mission to assist the country in developing its first national research and innovation (R&I) strategy.

 

The four high-level MSP experts met with more than 100 people from some 40 key institutions and organisations in Cameroon’s national research and innovation system to get an in-depth assessment of the issues at stake, as well as the challenges to address in order to make the knowledge economy a vector for sustainable and inclusive development.

Accompanied by the  Policy Support Facility (PSF) Technical Assistance Unit, the Expert panel worked closely with the national team, led by Mr. Taguem Fah G.L, Inspector General of the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation (MINRESI) of Cameroon, the requesting authority for this PSM service.

Meetings were held not only on several occasions with Madame Madeleine Tchuinte, Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation of Cameroon, and representatives of her main institutions (IRAD-MIPROMALO-INC-IRGM-IMPM-ARNP CNDT-CNE-Syndicates of Researchers-SYNES), but also with officials of other ministries (Higher Education; Health; Economy, Planning and Territorial Development; Mines, Industry and Technological Development, etc.), as well as with officials from universities, research institutes, the private sector, etc. The objective of this inclusive approach is to gather their ideas and views on the national R&I system in order to take ownership of the MSP service and improve its impact.

On the day of the official launch of this service (13 July), a brainstorming workshop was organised with all stakeholders (including start-ups and other private or informal groups involved in innovation), around four main themes: Innovation; Organisation of research; Business and the research community; and Funding.

Two types of reports are expected at the end of this field phase and further fine-tuning discussions with the national team:

– A Country Background Report (CBR), providing a diagnosis of the R&I system (baseline information, existing practices, SWOT analysis, etc.).

– An evidence-based Policy Recommendation Report (PRR) to help the country strengthen the research and innovation ecosystem, bring research closer to the business world, produce useful and exploitable knowledge, add value to research results and better respond to Cameroon’s national development priorities and the needs of its population.

Cameroon is the sixth country to benefit from the Policy Support Facility (PSF), an innovative mechanism launched in January 2021 by the  EU-funded OACPS Research and Innovation Programme, to enhance the quality and efficiency of R&I policy systems.

For more information on this PSF service, please download :

Factsheet of the PSF service in Cameroun 

Presentation of the members of the Expert Panel

Please also visit the webpage of the PSF service in Cameroon