Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in Addressing …
75
9 Challenges of Innovation, Knowledge, and Scientific
Research (SDS Egypt Vision 2030)
It was stated in the Egypt vision 2030 that “Knowledge, innovation, and scientific
research contribute in achieving the goals of sustainable development strategy (SDS)
in general, whether national or international, where the increase in the contribution
of a large number of economic sectors in economic activity can be achieved by
connecting scientific research outputs and innovation by the needs of these sectors”.
However challenges related to innovation, knowledge, and scientific research are
divided into three main groups:
The first group: is characterized by its high impact and relative ease to control,
hence it attracts the biggest share of attention as they could be encountered and
overcome much easier compared with others. It includes:
• The legislative system being poor in motivating and protecting innovation: There
is an absolute necessity to review legislation relevant to innovation protection,
and develop an incentives structure, governmental expenditures, and protection of
intellectual rights in order to achieve a motivating environment for innovation.
• Poor coordination between social needs and innovation: This can be observed in
the low proportion of local content in several vital sectors as well as not taking
advantage of scientific research outputs in facing the main challenges encountering
Egyptian society.
The second group: of challenges could be overcome, yet it has a relative and
limited impact, including:
• Inefficient sectorial planning: Sectorial planning must be focused on defining
national priorities and linking them to the system of innovation, knowledge, and
scientific research to achieve high levels of competitiveness and sustainability for
industries and strategic sectors in Egypt.
• Lack of a comprehensive mechanism connecting knowledge with innovation: Due
to the lack of a proper comprehensive mechanism to connect knowledge with innovation, the development of curricula and educational methods became irrelevant
to beneficial social or economic innovation production, which in its turn led to
significant imports of technology.
• Insufficient economic and financing incentives for innovation: Limited low expenditure allocated for scientific research and development has a negative effect
on knowledge production as a result. Medium and small companies’ inability
to produce and market innovation: Due to the high costs of such activities, this
consequently undermines their financial capacities.
The third group of challenges is characterized by its high impact and its long-term
nature to be overcome:
• Poor innovation culture of society: This is one of the most difficult challenges
facing the development of innovation, knowledge, and scientific research in Egypt,
due to decades of inherited negligence, whether in terms of instilling the culture of
75
9 Challenges of Innovation, Knowledge, and Scientific
Research (SDS Egypt Vision 2030)
It was stated in the Egypt vision 2030 that “Knowledge, innovation, and scientific
research contribute in achieving the goals of sustainable development strategy (SDS)
in general, whether national or international, where the increase in the contribution
of a large number of economic sectors in economic activity can be achieved by
connecting scientific research outputs and innovation by the needs of these sectors”.
However challenges related to innovation, knowledge, and scientific research are
divided into three main groups:
The first group: is characterized by its high impact and relative ease to control,
hence it attracts the biggest share of attention as they could be encountered and
overcome much easier compared with others. It includes:
• The legislative system being poor in motivating and protecting innovation: There
is an absolute necessity to review legislation relevant to innovation protection,
and develop an incentives structure, governmental expenditures, and protection of
intellectual rights in order to achieve a motivating environment for innovation.
• Poor coordination between social needs and innovation: This can be observed in
the low proportion of local content in several vital sectors as well as not taking
advantage of scientific research outputs in facing the main challenges encountering
Egyptian society.
The second group: of challenges could be overcome, yet it has a relative and
limited impact, including:
• Inefficient sectorial planning: Sectorial planning must be focused on defining
national priorities and linking them to the system of innovation, knowledge, and
scientific research to achieve high levels of competitiveness and sustainability for
industries and strategic sectors in Egypt.
• Lack of a comprehensive mechanism connecting knowledge with innovation: Due
to the lack of a proper comprehensive mechanism to connect knowledge with innovation, the development of curricula and educational methods became irrelevant
to beneficial social or economic innovation production, which in its turn led to
significant imports of technology.
• Insufficient economic and financing incentives for innovation: Limited low expenditure allocated for scientific research and development has a negative effect
on knowledge production as a result. Medium and small companies’ inability
to produce and market innovation: Due to the high costs of such activities, this
consequently undermines their financial capacities.
The third group of challenges is characterized by its high impact and its long-term
nature to be overcome:
• Poor innovation culture of society: This is one of the most difficult challenges
facing the development of innovation, knowledge, and scientific research in Egypt,
due to decades of inherited negligence, whether in terms of instilling the culture of