The Ascent of Open Innovation Annual Report 2024-25 Read More The Canada–Africa Partnership on Intellectual Property (CAP on IP) for Climate Action investigates how IP frameworks can be better designed, interpreted, and implemented to support climate action and equitable development. Read more Watch Video Catalysing AI's Potential in Africa through Intellectual Property Innovation This initiative forms part of the Open African Innovation Research (Open AIR) network and runs from 2025 to 2028. It addresses a pressing need for evidence-based approaches to the regulation of AI and IP that are inclusive, context-appropriate, and grounded in African realities. Read more A report providing unique perspectives on how African knowledge-based enterprises are seeking, and achieving, scale. Read more Leveraging Openness for Sustainable Development in Africa Science, Technology & Innovation and Intellectual Property Caroline Ncube's new book engages with the perennial challenge of how to craft and use Intellectual Property (IP) institutions, law, policies and practices to add to efforts to achieve sustainable development, and to consider recovery paths for economies ravaged by a world-wide public health and economic crisis. Read more African Perspectives on the Fourth Industrial Revolution Leap 4.0 The 4IR is well established in many parts of the world, with technological advances driving profound social and economic change. However, for many developing countries, particularly countries in Africa, the 4IR may not offer the anticipated 'leap' forward. This book seeks to identify the challenges and opportunities the 4IR presents to South Africa and the rest of the African continent. Read more We are committed to recognizing Africa’s role in the global knowledge economy and discovering which knowledge governance policies will best ensure that the social and economic benefits of innovation are shared inclusively. JOIN OUR NETWORK Open AIR logo

RESEARCH PROJECT PORTFOLIO

Our network-of-networks takes a portfolio approach to partnership, supporting interconnected projects that address shared themes across intellectual property, innovation, and development. Each cornerstone initiative contributes distinct insights while reinforcing the network’s collective aim of advancing inclusive and evidence-based governance of knowledge and technology.

RESEARCH THEMES

Over the past fifteen years, Open AIR’s research has evolved around three interconnected themes—technology hubs, Indigenous knowledge, and informal innovation. These themes emerged from the network’s strategic foresight research, which envisioned three future scenarios for Africa’s knowledge economy and guided Open AIR’s long-term exploration of inclusive and collaborative innovation.

TECHNOLOGY HUBS

Open AIR’s work on tech hubs explores how Africa’s makerspaces, incubators, and science labs connect local creativity to global networks, laying the groundwork for the AI and data-driven technologies now taking shape across the continent.

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE

Work on Indigenous entrepreneurship explores how communities draw on traditional knowledge systems to build sustainable enterprises, contributing to local livelihoods while shaping more inclusive approaches to IP and innovation.

INFORMAL INNOVATION

The theme of informal innovation shows how people solve challenges outside of formal economic structures, demonstrating that innovation thrives through shared knowledge, social networks, and flexible use of IP.

READ OPEN AIR'S ANNUAL REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS

As a research network, Open AIR places publications at the heart of its work—connecting on-the-ground evidence with innovative policy thinking. Its annual reports, flagship books, journal articles, and working papers reflect the network’s role as a broker of knowledge that advances innovation across Africa and beyond.

PUBLICATIONS

ARTICLES AND CHAPTERS

WORKING PAPERS

ANNUAL REPORTS

HIGHLIGHTED RESEARCH TOPICS

Open AIR’s research spans a range of cross-cutting topics that link its projects and themes, connecting the research portfolio together. Through work on laws and policies, gender and equality, artificial intelligence, maker movements, and innovation metrics, the network explores how knowledge governance shapes inclusive and sustainable innovation.

BIOMEDICAL INNOVATION

We analyse how intellectual property, data governance, and multilevel regulation impact the development and distribution of biomedical technologies, informing more equitable approaches to health innovation.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Open AIR’s AI research investigates how intellectual property, data ownership, and regulatory systems influence the development and scaling of African AI technologies, informing fair and locally grounded governance.

MAKER MOVEMENT

Our work on the maker movement investigates how African makers, fablabs and open hardware communities contribute to innovation, skills development and socio-economic inclusion beyond formal R&D models.

LAWS AND POLICY

By combining field-based research with rigorous policy analysis, Open AIR provides timely, relevant advice that helps national and international law-makers design regulatory frameworks grounded in African realities.

GENDER EQUITY

We investigate how intellectual property, entrepreneurship and innovation governance impact women and girls in Africa, producing evidence to advance inclusive frameworks and drive progress toward SDG 5.

METRICS

Open AIR advances evidence-based approaches to innovation measurement by capturing the informal, incremental, and socially embedded innovation that mainstream metrics miss, offering a sharper lens for African policymaking.