The Sixteenth Globelics Conference, held in Accra, Ghana, from 17 to 19 October 2018, reflected the growing prominence of Africa within international debates on innovation and development. Organized under the theme “Innovation, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: Strengthening Linkages for Greater Impact,” the meeting brought the Globelics community to West Africa for the first time. More than simply selecting a new venue, the conference acknowledged the increasing contribution of African researchers, institutions, and policymakers to the study of innovation systems and their role in achieving sustainable and inclusive development.
Responsibility for hosting the conference was shared by the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (CSIR-STEPRI) and the University of Ghana, institutions that have played an important role in advancing science, technology, and innovation policy across the region. Leadership of the Local Organising Committee rested with George O. Essegbey, Chief Research Scientist at CSIR-STEPRI, while Godfred K. Frempong served as Vice-Chairman. They were supported by Wilhemina Quaye, Justina A. Onumah, Masahudu Fuseini, and a multidisciplinary team of researchers, technologists, administrators, and policy specialists from CSIR-STEPRI. Their collective work transformed Accra into a meeting point where regional priorities could be discussed alongside international research on innovation and development.
The conference also reflected a period of institutional renewal within the Globelics network itself. The Scientific Board was chaired by K. J. Joseph of the Centre for Development Studies (India), with Erika Kraemer-Mbula from the University of Johannesburg, Edward Lorenz of the University of Côte d’Azur, and Susan Cozzens of the Georgia Institute of Technology serving as Vice Presidents. Rather than concentrating leadership within a small group of countries, the Board brought together scholars from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, including Ann Kingiri, Alexandre Vera-Cruz, Carlos Bianchi, Cristina Chaminade, Gabriel Yoguel, Jun Jin, Kassahun Yimer Kebede, Keun Lee, Marcela Suárez, Marina Szapiro, Michiko Iizuka, Miranda Risang, Oluseye Jegede, and Rasmus Lema. This broad geographical representation illustrated Globelics’ commitment to building an international research community in which different regional experiences contribute equally to the advancement of innovation studies.
Behind the scientific programme, the Globelics Secretariat, coordinated by José Eduardo Cassiolato as Secretary General, ensured continuity across the network’s activities. Working from REDESIST at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Cassiolato collaborated with Marina Szapiro, Marcelo Matos, Maria Gabriela Podcameni, Cecilia Tomassini, Israel Sanches Marcellino, João Marcos Hausmann Tavares, Manuel Gonzalo, Maria Martha de Brito, Max Humbert Santos, Fabiane Moraes, Tatiane Moraes, and Eliane Alves de Souza. Their work extended well beyond conference administration, supporting the long-term coordination of research networks, academic cooperation, and capacity-building initiatives that characterize Globelics.
The conference agenda reflected the diversity of contemporary innovation research. Discussions addressed industrial transformation, agricultural innovation, university–industry collaboration, entrepreneurship, sustainability transitions, technological capability building, science and technology policy, and the strengthening of national and regional innovation systems. A recurring concern was how stronger connections among governments, research institutions, firms, and civil society could generate wider developmental impacts, particularly in countries seeking to diversify their productive structures and expand opportunities for inclusive growth.
The keynote programme reinforced these debates from complementary perspectives. Mariana Mazzucato, representing the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at University College London, examined how mission-oriented innovation policies enable governments to shape markets and mobilize collective action around major societal challenges. Her arguments were complemented by Xiaobo Wu of Zhejiang University, whose analysis of China’s industrial transformation illustrated how long-term investment in technological capabilities can accelerate structural change while creating new opportunities for late-industrializing economies. Together, their presentations connected theoretical advances with practical policy experiences that resonated strongly with many African participants.
Rather than treating Africa as a case study within a predominantly global discussion, the Accra conference placed African experiences at the centre of the dialogue. Numerous sessions examined regional initiatives aimed at strengthening innovation ecosystems, improving agricultural productivity, supporting industrial upgrading, and expanding collaboration between universities, businesses, and public institutions. Ghana’s own efforts to deepen linkages between research organizations and industry provided a particularly valuable reference point for discussions on evidence-based innovation policy.
The Accra meeting ultimately demonstrated how the Globelics network had evolved into a genuinely global community with increasingly diverse leadership and stronger representation from the Global South. By combining institutional renewal, international scientific collaboration, and a programme firmly rooted in African development priorities, the Sixteenth Globelics Conference broadened the network’s perspective on innovation while reaffirming that sustainable development depends on strong partnerships, continuous learning, and the capacity to transform knowledge into social and economic progress.