Bioresources Innovations Network for Eastern African

Development Bio-Innovate Program

Seyoum Leta

Bio-Innovate Launch, ILRI, Nairobi 16 March 2011

Presentation outline

• Bio-Innovate Program background• Why Bio-Innovate?• Vision, mission and objectives • Program core focus areas• Bio-Innovate Program management• Bio-Innovate competitive grant

scheme• Program key result areas• Bio-Innovate beyond 2014

Bio-Innovate Program Network Partners

Uganda

Burundi

Ethiopia

KenyaRwanda

Tanzania

The Bio-Innovate Program

• Bio-Innovate is a newly established Multi-disciplinary competitive funding mechanism for biosciences research and product oriented innovation activities in eastern Africa

• The Program is supported by an initial grant of SEK 80m (USD 10.7m) from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) over the 5 year period (2010-2014) under the Agreement signed between Sida and ILRI in January 2010

Additional Climate Change Fund

• Sida allocated additional grant of MSEK 10 (1.3M USD) for the Bio-Innovate Program Thematic Area projects targeting climate change adaptation in eastern Africa in 2010.

• This increases the total Sida Grant to the Bio-Innovate to MSEK 90 (12M USD) over the five years period (1st amendment to the main agreement between Sida and ILRI 10 November 2010).

Rationale for a regional bio-resource based innovation network

1) Lessons from previous initiatives in and out of Africa:

• the Bio-Innovate uses an innovation systems approach engaging new and existing actors in and outside the region in bio-resource innovations, laying foundation as well as up- and out-scaling approaches for development

2) Addressing regional challenges

• Regional integration and shared approaches are increasingly important factors in promoting development in Africa

3) Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) (2005) puts emphasis on improving the quality of African science, technology and innovation through regional networking and more appropriate policies

• Biotechnology and biosciences are a prioritized areas in the CPA, ....... a high level AU/NEPAD African Panel on biotechnology in “Freedom to Innovate - Biotechnology in Africa’s Development”

• The importance of regional collaboration in science and technology to enable the continent to adapt the rapid advances and promises of modern biosciences

The Bio-Innovate Program is therefore a bold step to bring together partners from the south and north through a new bio-resource innovation regional platform targeting bioscience innovation activities in eastern Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) and operationally support regional agendas, in particular those articulated by AU-NEPAD and other pertinent regional S&T policies

• to generate science-based solutions for stimulating adaptability of crop-based farming systems to climate change, enhance crop, feed and bio-fuel productivity and provide farmers with more agribusiness opportunities

• to address the environmental pollution threats by developing efficient waste management technologies and up-scaling of emerging pilot technologies, with a focus on the agro-processing sector

• pooling expertise through a regional bioscience innovation network, enabling cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary policy and sustainability analysis on how bioscience innovation could support sustainable development in the region

Bio-Innovate therefore focuses on strengthening biosciences innovation in the region:

The Bio-Innovate Program Identity

• Has identified strategic, thematic focus areas that interface value addition and innovation through interlinked activities in Eastern Africa

• biosciences innovations in agriculture, the environment and agro-processing industry, with support to regional, interdisciplinary innovation projects

• linked as consortia involving countries in the region including the private sector with the purpose of generating regional public goods

• are comprised of a range of value chain actors critical to span the process from science to production and markets

• Focus on product development and delivery systems

Vision, mission and objectives 

VisionTo develop into a Program of excellence that contributes

to sustainable and integrated utilization of bio-resources for economic growth and development of eastern Africa

MissionTo create and promote bio-resource based innovation

systems in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda for sustainable utilization and integration of the innovations into Eastern Africa’s economic development processes

Strategic Goal Eastern Africa bioscience innovation systems mobilized

and deployed to harness bio-resources, thereby promoting socio-economic development of the region.

Purpose

• To create a Program whereby innovations for sustainable utilization, transformation and integration of eastern Africa’s bio-resources are discovered, developed, intensified and disseminated to promote regional economic growth and development

• The key guiding principles :• value-addition, • multi-disciplinarity, • competitiveness, • subsidiarity and • mainstreaming of investments into national and

regional development agenda•  

Strategic thematic focus Areas of Bio-Innovate Program

1) Climate change adaptability, productivity and improvement for food and nutrition security • The focus is on intensification of R4D that

promote bio-resource innovations to enhance productivity, nutrition and food quality and foster climate change adaptation of selected strategic commodities such as sorghum, millet, cassava and sweet potato in Eastern Africa

2) Waste treatment, bio-energy for renewable bio-resources, and securing freshwater resources

• Focus on protection of water resources and the environment targeting recovery of value added products from solid waste and wastewater:

• Innovative ways to use bio-waste for energy and other value added product production and provision of clean freshwater resources and minimize greenhouse gas emissions

3) Innovation incubation and promotion of targeted value chains

• Focus on taking near market products along the value chain to end-users• Cover pilot level testing for economic

feasibility, marketability and acceptability• up- and out-scaling of innovations through

technology incubation centre(s) and innovation platforms thereby improving adoption and deployment of science-based solutions to development challenges in the region

4) Bio-resource innovation policy and sustainability analysis

• Addresses key issues for the policy studies on how applications of biosciences in Eastern Africa could lead to a more sustainable agricultural and agro-processing sector, able to promote economic growth and effectively alleviate poverty, including:

• Analysis of and addressing gaps in the technology dissemination chains

• Exploring technology transfer models

• Exploring and analysing models of funding of technology dissemination processes

Bio-innovate Program Management

• The Bio-Innovate Program is being implemented as a technology and policy platform implemented via a CGS managed by the Program Management Office (PMO) with support of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

• The CGS are open to a wider Eastern Africa research network, and operated through a number of strategically developed calls for innovation proposals

• Calls for proposals are framed on the basis of the Program’s thematic areas and closely linked to the needs and S&T strategies for the region, in support of the AU-NEPAD agenda for science and technology

Hosting arrangement

• Hosted by ILRI and co-located at the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) - ILRI Hub in Nairobi

• The Hub is regionally shared research platform for eastern and central Africa, with first class research and training facilities where African scientists are applying modern biosciences to address some of the continent’s pressing problems in food security, environmental sustainability and responding to the challenges of climate change

• Provides Bio-Innovate with opportunities for synergies with the BecA-ILRI Hub and related initiatives through joint activities, including resource mobilization

Scientific and Technical Management

of the Program

In its Program Implementations, the PMO is supported and advised by:

1) an independent Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which provide oversight on the Program, peer review of the competitive grant scheme, and Program monitoring and evaluation

2) An independent experts of Panel of reviewers for scientific and technical review of the concept notes and full proposals

3) Project Consortia Leaders (TLs) are also responsible for respective thematic area Project Consortia, hosted at lead institutions in the Bio-Innovate participating countries

Linkages to regional and national S&T Organs

The Bio-Innovate Program is working closely with the AU/NEPAD and Eastern Africa Councils/Commissions for Science and Technology from Bio-Innovate participating countries in strengthening regional collaboration in science and technology to enable the continent to adapt the rapid advances and promises of modern biosciences

Designing and Implementation of CGS: Calls for proposals

1) First Call for Concept Notes on Adapting to Climate Change in Agriculture and the Environment in eastern Africa targeted:• improving crop productivity and resilience to climate

change in small-scale farming systems (theme 1); and• Improving the efficiency of the agro-processing industry

to add value to local bio-resources in a sustainable manner (theme 2)

2) Second Call for Concept Notes on Technology Incubation and Policy Analysis in eastern Africa targeted:• Innovation incubation and promotion of targeted value

chains (theme 3)• Bioresources policy and sustainability analysis in eastern

Africa (theme 4)

The first call for concept notes on ‘Adapting to Climate Change in

Agriculture and the Environment in Eastern Africa’

• In response to this first call, the Bio-Innovate Program received 44 concept notes (CNs) from applicants from the six Bio-Innovate participating countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

• 30 CNs = improvement of crop productivity and resilience to climate change in small-scale farming systems in eastern Africa (Theme 1), and

• 14 CNs =agro-waste treatment, bio-energy from renewable bio-resources to mitigate climate

change and technologies for securing fresh water resources on a sustainable manner

• (Theme 2) www.bioinnovate-africa.org

Bio-Innovate Projects supported from the First

CallProject 1: Delivering New Sorghum and Finger Millet Innovations for Food Security and Improving Livelihoods in Eastern Africa

Purpose: To deliver sorghum and finger millet technologies that minimize the effects of climate change; and raise productivity and income of sorghum and finger millet producing farmers through development-oriented research and action in eastern Africa

Participating countries/institutionsThe project is executed by consortium of innovation team drawn from Universities, NARS and private sectors from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda as well as international collaborators from ICRISAT, the University of Georgia and Swedish Agricultural University and the BecA-ILRI hub

Project 2: Enhancing Food Security through Improved Seed Systems of Appropriate Varieties of Cassava, Potato and Sweet Potato Resilient to Climate Change in Eastern Africa.Purpose: Evaluate and deploy improved varieties of cassava, potato and sweet potato that are adapted to climate change in diverse agro-ecologies, and developing and institutionalizing efficient seed multiplication and delivery system in Eastern Africa

Participating countries/InstitutionsMultidisciplinary innovation team from Universities and NARS (Ethiopia, Kenya ,Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) and International collaboration (CIP, SLU, UoH, BecA- ILRI hub) as well as private organizations: UNSPPA (Uganda), Kisima Farm (Kenya), Red barna (Ethiopia), URUGAGA IMBARAGA (Rwanda), and GTIL (Tanzania).

Project 3:Value Added Bean Technologies for enhancing Food Security, Nutrition, Income and Resilience to cope with Climate Change and Variability Challenges in Eastern AfricaPurpose: Develop and promote integrated and efficient bean value chains for increased productivity, nutritional value, commercialization and competitiveness of beans commodity in eastern Africa

Participating countries/InstitutionsKenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Ethiopian Institute of Agriculture (EIA) Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU), Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI),Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda (ISAR)University of Nairobi and Sokoine University of AgriculturePABRA-CIAT and Private Sector: Trufoods Kenya Limited

Project 4: Sustainable utilization of agro-industrial wastes through integration of bio-energy and mushroom production.

Purpose: to demonstrate innovative technologies to produce value added products (mushroom and bio-energy from agro-industrial wastes (coffee processing and sisal wastes) while at the same time reducing environmental pollution burden in eastern Africa.

Participating countries/Institutions University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania, Addis Ababa University, AAU, EthiopiaPuwani University College, KenyaUniversities from Germany and Denmark Private sectors in partner countries

Project 5:Integrated Process for Sustainable Agro-process Waste Treatment and Climate Change Mitigation in Eastern Africa

Purpose: Integrating agro-wastewater treatment with biogas production and water and nutrient reuse for enhanced agro-processing industrial and agricultural productivity in Eastern Africa

Participating countries/InstitutionsUniversity of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), TanzaniaMakerere University (MAK) Uganda, Addis Ababa University (AAU), Ethiopia, National University of Rwanda (NUR), AKUT, Germany . The consortium is also collaborating with private sectors as a platform for product dissemination.

Second Call for Concept Notes on Innovation Incubation and Bioresources Policy and Sustainability Analysis in Eastern Africa

1) The Second Call will invite Concept Notes which will address:

• up- and out-scaling of innovations through technology incubation centre(s) and innovation platforms

• address issues needed to provide a supportive policy environment for the ultimate development and promotion and uptake of bio-resource innovations in Eastern Africa

www.bioinnovate-africa.org2) Successful innovation and policy projects from the

2nd call will be supported fro three years period (July 2011- June 2014)

Innovation and Policy Project Consortia (Call 2)

Team composition is multi-disciplinary, multi-country to ensure Regionality, Relevance, Efficiency, and Impact orientation

Bio-Innovate Innovation Project Consortia

The Bio-Innovate Projects:

• Are regional and multi-disciplinary on related innovation project consortia developed via a CGS

• are comprised of a range of value chain actors critical to span the process from science to production and markets

• Have involved market actors and other practitioners in planning the project in order to ensure that products, knowledge and technologies reach the market and specified end users

• Have involved private sector and other market actors to ensure that the Program funds are matched by other investments, which will increase impact and sustainability of all efforts

Funding Policy for Bio-Innovate Projects

• The funded Bio-Innovate consortia and their component projects have a clear and highly strategic value to the region, and are based on national and regional strategies, and add value to already ongoing national and regional initiatives, avoiding duplication of efforts

Key Program Result Areas

KRA 1:Strategic Eastern Africa crop innovation systems strengthened to improve productivity and enhance food and nutrition security in the region

• Innovations to enhance crop adaptability to the consequences of climatic change, crop diversification and productivity constraints will be generated

KRA 2:Innovations for bioremediation, sustainable waste

management and mitigation of climatic change developed and promoted

• Efficient and effective bioscience innovations for environmental clean-up, waste management and sustainable use of resources (water and land) will be generated;

KRA 3: Eastern Africa innovation systems catalyzed to deliver agricultural, environmental and industrial innovations that stimulate sustainable transformation, utilization and productivity of the region’s bio-resources

• Technology incubation and other mechanisms for putting research into use by communities and industry will be developed and operationalized

KRA 4:Innovation policies for sustainable harnessing of bio-resources developed and promoted

• The Bio-Innovate Program will undertake policy support analysis studies to provide decision support tools for investment, promotion and management of bio-resource innovations in Eastern Africa

KRA 5:An enabling mechanism for mobilization, catalysis and nurture of a strong bio-resource and science-led economic growth agenda for Eastern Africa strengthened and operationalized.

• This result will occur as an overall outcome of the above four actions being implemented successfully.

Bio-Innovate Vision beyond 2014

Policy Innovation Practice Impact Policy Innovation Practice Impact

Eastern African Agriculture and EnvironmentEastern African Agriculture and Environment