Innovations

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December 19, 2011

Christmas and New Year greetings from Bioinnovate Africa

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, Agriculture, BioInnovate, East Africa, Innovations, Kenya | Tags: , , , |
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As the festive season ushers in and the year comes to an end, it is with profound appreciation to note that our focus in the year 2011 was on building functional innovation consortia teams responsible for taking bio-science Research for Development (R4D) and innovations to the market.

Appreciation to all the nine consortium teams for the enormous amount of work done, the nine innovations and policy consortia projects are now in place. These innovation and policy consortium projects are now running and are at different stages of implementation. This stupendous commitment is extremely important towards driving our shared agenda of addressing key constraints in the agricultural and environmental subsectors within the Eastern Africa region.

As we approach Christmas season, with all the elation, exhilaration, merriment and excitement, that are part of the tradition, I am glad to take this opportunity to extend Season’s Greetings and best wishes for the New Year 2012 to all our stakeholders, Sida, friends and associates, who have significantly contributed towards achievements of our objectives and intended targets. Your support during the year 2011 helped us on commencing the journey to fulfilling our mission of creating and promoting bio-resource-based innovation systems in Eastern Africa’s economic development processes.

I wish to acknowledge your diligent support that has significantly contributed towards achievements of our objectives in the last one year. I am confident that the spirit of support and cooperation displayed, this far, will be taken further in the New Year.

May we be ever mindful of the spirit of caring, sharing, love and generosity that the Christmas season brings to the fore as we seek to catalyze and deliver agricultural, environmental and industrial innovations that stimulate sustainable transformation, utilization and productivity of the region’s bio-resources.

I wish you all a very happy festive season and an incoming year filled with peace, joy, productivity and prosperity.

Seyoum Leta (PhD)
Bio-Innovate Program Manager

BioInnovate Africa logo ILRI Logo, square Sida logo
 

October 19, 2011

Bio-Innovate Program is supporting nine regional and multidisciplinary projects in Eastern Africa

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under BioInnovate, Burundi, Climate Change, East Africa, Environment, Ethiopia, Innovations, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda | Tags: , , , |
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The Bio-resources Innovations Network for Eastern Africa Development (Bio-Innovate) Program is a newly established multidisciplinary competitive funding mechanism, for biosciences and product oriented innovation activities in Eastern Africa, through the bioresources innovation fund, supporting applications for regional, multi-disciplinary innovation projects in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The Bio-Innovate niche is characterized by a focus on the applications of bio-resource innovations, to support sustainable growth and transformation of the agricultural and environmental sub-sectors, from primary production to value addition, while enhancing adaptability to climatic change and strengthening innovation policy.

Building on previous investments and regional initiatives, the Program is focusing on delivering new products through bioscience innovation systems involving multiple actors, including scientists, private sector, Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and other development actors. A central objective of the Bio-Innovate Program is to build functional innovation consortia able to take bioscience Research for Development (R4D) and innovations to the market.

The Bio-Innovate Program is being implemented under four Thematic Areas and through nine regional, multi-disciplinary innovation and policy projects selected through the Program’s Competitive Grant Scheme (CGS). These innovation and policy project consortia are comprised of a range of value chain actors critical to span the process from science to production and markets. Involvement of market actors and other practitioners in the innovation project consortia is crucial in order to ensure that products, knowledge and new technologies emanating from the Bio-Innovate Program reach the market and specified end users.

In its first three-year phase call for proposals on “Adapting to Climate Change in Agriculture and the Environment in Eastern Africa”, the Bio-Innovate Program is supporting five innovation projects working to improve the productivity of sorghum, millet, cassava, sweet potato, potato and bean farmers; to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change (thematic area 1); to improve the processing of wastes in the production of sisal and coffee; and to better treat waste water generated in leather processing and slaughterhouse operations (thematic area 2).

In the second call for proposals on “Innovation Incubation and Promotion of Targeted Value Chains and Bio-resources Innovation Policy and Sustainability Analysis in Eastern Africa”, The Bio-Innovate Program is supporting four innovation incubation and policy projects. The Bio-Innovate projects from the second call will help build agricultural and environmental innovation incubation and targeted value chains in the region and a supportive policy environment for bioresources innovations.

We are pleased to report that the Bio-Innovate Program Secretariat has successfully set-up and implemented the Program’s Competitive Grant Scheme. Two round calls for concept notes followed by full proposals development, review, selection and approval for funding have been made for all the four thematic areas of the Program. Nine regional, interdisciplinary innovation and policy projects were selected and approved for funding with a total fund of SEK 69.8M (USD 9.3M) over three years period through the Program’s competitive bidding process involving more than 50 implementing institutions and 100 innovation and policy consortium teams from universities, national, regional and international research organizations, national councils for Science and Technology, private sectors/ industries and development organizations from within Bio-Innovate participating countries and outside the region.

For more details contact Bio-Innovate Secretariat:

Dr. Seyoum Leta
Bio-Innovate Program Manager,
International Livestock Research Institute
P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya
Email: s.leta@cgiar.org
Direct line: +254 (0)20 422 3216
Fax: +254 (0)20 422 3001
Website: www.bioinnovate-africa.org

 

March 22, 2011

Researchers target orphan crops in EA food security drive

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under BioInnovate, Burundi, East Africa, Environment, Ethiopia, Innovations, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda | Tags: , , , , , |
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Cassava is among the crops that are pest resistant and drought tolerant, meaning farmers will no longer be dependent on rain-fed agriculture. Photo/FILE

 

…This five year Bio Innovate initiative in East Africa is funded by the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) to the tune of $16m and is the first of its kind in Africa.

It will also help farmers to improve the processing of waste from sisal and coffee production, and safely treat waste water from leather tanneries and slaughterhouses.

Greatest challenges

Besides Kenya, other countries covered by the Bio Innovate project are Burundi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda.

“Bio Innovate… is at the heart of the region’s greatest challenges — providing enough food in the face of climate change, diversifying crops and addressing productivity constraints… threatening the livelihoods of millions,” said Carlos Sere, ILRI’s director general.

Speaking during the launch of Bio Innovate at ILRI’s headquarters in Nairobi last week, programme manger Seyoum Leta said “we can help build a more productive and sustainable regional bio resources based economy.”

Leta noted the programme was key to pro-poor economic growth.

Read more… (Business Daily)

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March 22, 2011

Eastern Africa: New programme to fight food security and climate change

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under BioInnovate, Burundi, Environment, Ethiopia, Innovations, Kenya, Policy, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda | Tags: , , , , , |
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A new programme that provides grants to bioscientists working to improve food production and environmental management in eastern Africa was launched Wednesday at the Nairobi headquarters of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

The newly established Bioresources Innovation Network for Eastern Africa Development (Bio-Innovate) Programme—the first of its kind in Africa—provides competitive grants to African researchers who are working with the private sector and non-governmental organizations to find ways to improve food security, boost resilience to climate change and identify environmentally sustainable ways of producing food.

In its first three-year phase, the programme is supporting five research-based projects working to improve the productivity of sorghum, millet, cassava, sweet potato, potato and bean farmers; to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change; to improve the processing of wastes in the production of sisal and coffee; and to better treat waste water generated in leather processing and slaughterhouse operations.

In a second call for proposals, beginning mid-2011, Bio-Innovate will help build agricultural commodity “value chains” in the region and a supportive policy environment for bioresource innovations.

The five-year programme is funded by a US$12-million grant from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). Bio-Innovate is managed by ILRI and co-located within the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BeCA) Hub at ILRI’s Nairobi campus. Bio-Innovate will be implemented in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

“By emphasizing innovations to help drive crop production in the six partner countries, Bio-Innovate is working at the heart of one of the region’s greatest challenges—that of providing enough food in the face of climate change, diversifying crops and addressing productivity constraints that are threatening the livelihoods of millions,” said Carlos Seré, ILRI’s director general.

Read more… (News From Africa)

 

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March 9, 2011

New Biosciences Innovation Program to fight food insecurity, climate change and environmental degradation across east Africa to be launched in Nairobi next week

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, BioInnovate, Environment, Innovations, Policy | Tags: |
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A new program that provides grants to bioscientists in eastern Africa working to improve food production and environmental management in this region will be officially launched on 16 March, 2011 at the Nairobi headquarters of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

The newly established Bioresources Innovations Network for Eastern Africa Development (Bio-Innovate) Program – the first-of-its-kind in Africa – provides competitive grants to African researchers that are working with the private sector and non-governmental organizations, to find ways to improve food security, boost resilience to climate change and identify environmentally sustainable ways of producing food.

Bio-Innovate Program is managed by ILRI and co-located within the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub. Bio-Innovate will be implemented in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

 

February 1, 2011

Second call for Bio-Innovate concept notes: Deadline extended to 8 February, 2011

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under BioInnovate, Innovations, Policy
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The deadline for the second call for concept notes on ” Innovation incubation and bioresources innovation policy and sustainability analysis in Eastern Africa”, has been extended to February 8, 2011.

Please send your applications on the same to the following e-mail address:

bioinnovate-calls@cgiar.org



 

December 1, 2010

Second call for concept notes: Innovation incubation and bioresources innovation policy and sustainability analysis in Eastern Africa

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under BioInnovate, Innovations, Policy | Tags: |
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Call deadline extended to 8 February, 2011

We are pleased to issue a second call for concept notes that will address 1) 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, and 2) address issues needed to provide a supportive policy environment for the ultimate development, promotion and uptake of bio-resource innovations in Eastern Africa.

The BioInnovate Call for Concept Notes is a two stage process of submission and review of Concept Notes, followed by invitations for full Proposals. Full proposals will be developed by successful consortia from the second call for concept notes within the region that are led by public and/or private entities (including small scale enterprises and NGOs) in one of the six BioInnovate participating countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The lead entities from the region may seek, and are encouraged, to include other regional and/or international partners, within or beyond the eastern Africa region, as partners in the proposed project. Funding will be granted for innovation and policy projects where it can be clearly demonstrated that a regional approach is more effective than individual national projects.

Principal investigators/lead institutions will be selected from the consortia with strong track record of up-and out-scaling innovations and or creating relevant institutional or policy change for the promotion of science and technology for the benefit of the farmers/end users.

Deadline for receipt of Concept Notes is January 31, 2011

Download the call for Concept Notes (PDF)

Download the guidelines and application format (PDF)

Download the BioInnovate Program document (PDF)

Sign-up for the BioInnovate news alert (email)


 

May 23, 2010

BioInnovate: Competitive funding mechanism for biosciences innovation in East Africa

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, BioInnovate, East Africa, Environment, Innovations, Policy
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BioInnovate is a new multidisciplinary competitive funding mechanism for biosciences and product orientated innovation activities in Eastern Africa.

BioInnovate will run a Competitive Grants Scheme (CGS) targeted at research in four thematic areas chosen to support the AU/NEPAD agenda for science, technology and agriculture:

1: Climate change adaptability, productivity and improvement for food and nutrition security
2: Waste treatment, bio-energy for renewable bio-resources, and securing freshwater resources
3: Innovation incubation and promotion of targeted value chains
4: Bio-resource innovation policy and sustainability analysis

BioInnovate will follow an innovation systems approach. A key lesson from the preceding BIO-EARN Program and other R4D activities is that developmental activities need to be devised and implemented within innovation systems. An innovation system refers to a set of distinct institutions which jointly and individually contribute to the development and diffusion of new technologies which provide the framework within which governments form and implement policies to influence the innovation process. Hence, the adoption of an innovation systems approach is critical for the transition to a knowledge-based economy.

Thus, following calls for proposals, we expect that the research will be implemented through ‘consortia’ comprising several individual but related projects focused on climatic adaptation strategies in crop agriculture and the environment, technology incubation, and policy advice and advocacy.

This will allow the program to address and focus on regional priorities in a flexible manner. It will also allow the program to benefit from the experiences of a wider network of partners. Proposals for grants will be assessed on the basis of excellence and the ability of the grantees to deliver results.

BioInnovate builds on the ten year BIO-EARN Program (East African Regional Programme and Research Network for Biotechnology, Biosafety and Biotechnology Policy Development) under which Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda greatly benefited from the capacity building and research for development (R4D) undertaken by the BIO-EARN. After more than a decade of successful implementation, BIO-EARN is now coming to completion and it is succeeded by the BioInnovate program – which also embraces Burundi and Rwanda as partner countries.

Implementation of the program has already started. The recruitment for a Program Manager is in progress. The constitution of a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is also ongoing. We expect to announce the first call for concept notes in May 2010, after the appointment of the TAC.

BioInnovate will work closely with the African Union New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU/NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) in strengthening regional collaboration in science and technology to enable the continent to adapt the rapid advances and promises of modern biosciences.

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has agreed to manage the new program, at the invitation of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

It will be co-located on ILRI’s Nairobi campus with the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub, also managed by ILRI. At ILRI, BioInnovate comes under the overall responsibility of Dr Bruce Scott, Director of Partnerships and Communications, as we see the program as an important platform to foster partnerships in biosciences and innovation systems throughout the East Africa region.

To accelerate the early implementation of the program, Dr Gabrielle Persley, Senior Advisor at ILRI, has agreed to be the interim Program Manager, pending the early appointment of the Program Manager. Ms Benita Forsman is assisting ILRI with the administrative, management and communication aspects of the program.

 

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