A briefing paper
This briefing paper takes a retrospective look at the recent advances and trends in the scientific and technical research output of Africa. The paper is written against the backdrop of the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA 2024).
It illustrates the different research dynamics of regions within Africa, some of which are dominated by a regional champion such as the Southern region and others where multiple countries collaborate to produce a more diverse output such as Northern Africa.
The report highlights productivity and impact of the African continent’s research community. Importantly, it demonstrates the power of using comparable indicators and suitable benchmarking for realistic and useful monitoring.