Higher Education Institution (HEI) Innovation

How we carry out our work

Through nurturing the growth of student and academic innovators with cutting-edge know-how to solve complex problems through innovation.

Reshaping the perception of HEIs and their role in society, positioning them as key drivers of economic development through innovation

Advancing the capabilities of HEIs to contribute to the emerging innovation ecosystem in Africa.

Building the capacity of African HEIs to participate in collaborative research projects with local and international partners.

Jude Adejuwon Practice lead, HEI

Why we believe this is important

Our Thinking

The emerging innovation ecosystem in Africa is proving to be a critical driver of economic growth both in its role as an innovation enabler for key sectors and its contribution to an inflow of FDI. The last 4 years alone have seen the startup and innovation ecosystem attract over $10.5 Billion in funding to companies focused on building the critical digital infrastructure required to deepen economies across the continent.

While diverse organisations are coming together to strengthen this emerging innovation ecosystem, the Higher Education Institutes in most African countries play little to no role. Globally, the critical contribution of academic institutions has been well documented not only in talent development but also generation of novel ideas to many societal challenges.

We believe HEIs must step up to their critical role if Africa’s innovation ecosystem will transit from large consumers of technology to producers of technological innovations that benefit Africa and the world.

OUR RECENT WORK

Powering the future of Africa through Uninnovation

This report delves into the transformative role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in driving innovation ecosystems across Africa and how they can pivot beyond solving immediate challenges to create lasting prosperity by fostering market-ready startups and enabling scalable solutions.

What we have done

Our Expressions

We recognise the importance of evidence-based research in fostering a robust research culture within the healthcare ecosystem. Through our exploration of diverse research techniques, we aim to identify gaps and challenges within the healthcare landscape, conduct insightful analyses, and offer recommendations to enhance healthcare systems across the continent. See some of our expressions below:

HEI Innovation Summit

The HEI Innovation Summit was the climax of the Uni:nnovators Startup-in-Residence Programme to showcase these innovations’ impact and mark the program’s end. The summit also served as a platform to engage key stakeholders across Africa on the role of African HEIs in the emerging African Innovation Ecosystem and create lasting relationships and networks for all stakeholders.

The student demonstrations, which were a key highlight of the HEI Innovation Summit, showcased the innovations fostered by students from higher education institutions in Namibia, Kenya, and Nigeria. One such student is Josephina Gebhard from the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) with her startup ‘Hydrowatch’, which is a water testing system that gives real-time results on water quality, eliminating human error and long laboratory wait times. Watch her journey here

British Council: Innovation for African Universities(BC:IAU) Programme

The Innovation for African Universities programme is a programme that was designed to support the development of Africa – UK University Partnerships that build institutional capacity for Higher Education engagement in entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems in selected African countries.

Research and Innovation Showcase

The Academic Innovators Research and Innovation Showcase aims to provide a platform for showcasing groundbreaking research and innovative projects within the African research community. This showcase is dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within academic innovators and also bridging the gap between academic research and practical applications, fostering collaborations that drive economic development and societal impact.

This is done through showcasing innovative research and projects being carried out across our continent, fostering networking and collaboration among researchers and potential funders, encouraging knowledge sharing and best practices in research and innovation, and promoting awareness about the importance of research and innovation in addressing societal challenges and driving economic growth.

Community of Practice

The Academic Innovators Community of Practice serves as a beneficial network for researchers, innovators, thought leaders, and academia who are carrying out research and innovation in key areas that are critical to Africa’s sustainable development through peer-to-peer collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity- building support, innovation showcases, and commercialization of research outputs.

Click here to join the CoP Slack channel.

Uni:nnovators Start up-in-Residence Program

The Uni:nnovators Startup-in-Residence Programme was designed to inspire innovation within selected tertiary institutions across Nigeria, Namibia, and Kenya. Two universities were selected from each country making it six universities in total, including the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos in Nigeria, the University of Nairobi and Riara University in Kenya, and the University of Namibia and Namibia University of Science and Technology in Namibia.

The programme which started in August 2023, had over 256 entries vying for a place. Carefully, 30 startup teams were chosen to embark on an intensive six-week design sprint. During this period, they honed their pitches and innovations, preparing for the grand Demo Day.

Each country produced six exceptional student teams that emerged from the demo days conducted in each country and advanced to the final stage of the programme.

Among the innovative solutions developed by the students in this program were smart, portable phototherapy devices designed for the effective treatment of jaundice in African neonates; reusable core needle breast biopsy devices with disposable coaxial needles that simplify the breast biopsy process and reduce contamination risks during breast cancer care; and real-time crop monitoring systems that enhance resource management, alongside user-friendly IoT solutions aimed at addressing some of the most pressing challenges in the agricultural sector, to name a few. The Uni:nnovators Startup in Residence programme was in partnership with GIZ Make-IT in Africa, representing the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through an Integrated Development Partnership with the Private Sector (iDPP).

Corporate Innovation Challenges

The Corporate Innovation Challenge bridges the gap between academia and industry by connecting students and faculty with leading corporations to tackle real-world challenges. This program fosters multidisciplinary innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, and problem-solving, empowering participants to work on live projects that deliver impactful solutions with direct market and societal relevance.

Through partnerships with companies like Ecobarter, a Nigerian waste management organization, and EduTAMS, an EdTech platform, we’ve collaborated with student innovators from institutions such as the African University for Science & Technology (AUST) and Tai Solarin University of Education(TASUED). These successes demonstrate the transformative potential of corporate-academic partnerships in driving innovation.

As we expand the reach of this initiative, we invite funders and forward-thinking organizations to join us in amplifying its impact. Together, we can empower more innovators, strengthen industry- academia linkages, and drive sustainable development across Africa. Let’s shape the future of innovation—collaborate with us today!

Our Clients and Partners