Open African Innovation Research Network (Open AIR) · mapping of the existing makerspaces in...

Open African Innovation Research Network (Open AIR)Researching Open Innovation in Africa,

Seeking Comparisons in Other Continentswww.openair.org.za

Panel DiscussionAfricaOSH Summit, www.africaosh.com

Kumasi Hive, Ghana, 13 April 2018

Panellists: Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, Outlwile Maselwanyane, Chris Armstrong, Vipal Jain

panel outline

● the Open AIR research programme - Yaw Adu-Gyamfi

● research into maker movement in Ghana - Yaw Adu-Gyamfi

● research into maker movement in South Africa - Outlwile

Maselwanyane

● research into maker movements in North Africa, Kenya; deepening

of maker research in South Africa - Chris Armstrong

● research into making in Canada; research into biohacking - Vipal

Jain

● future Open AIR research directions - Yaw Adu-Gyamfi

● Q&A, discussion

the Open AIR research programme

Yaw Adu-Gyamfi

Co-Founder, Centre for Social Innovations

(CSI); and Open AIR Researcher

Kumasi, Ghana

http://csighana.org

yaw@csighana.org

the Open AIR research programme (1)

http://www.openair.org.za/team

● researchers in 15 African countries

● hubs in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Ottawa

● links to researchers in Latin America, Asia,

Europe, US

the Open AIR research programme (2)

www.openair.org.za/research

2 overarching questions

the Open AIR research programme (3)

www.openair.org.za/research

4 themes

research into maker movement in Ghana

Yaw Adu-Gyamfi

Co-Founder, Centre for Social Innovations

(CSI); and Open AIR Researcher

Kumasi, Ghana

http://csighana.org

yaw@csighana.org

research into maker movement in Ghana (1)

2017 Study of informal sector innovation at Suame Magazine and connection to the global maker movement.

Suame Magazine

● Background and History● Organically started from 1975

● 12,000 informal enterprises● $1m daily transaction est. 200,000 pop

● Changing technology landscape● External support for innovation

● Stagnation

Skills development and

innovation at Suame

Magazine findings;

skills acquisition

➔ Formal institutions eg NVTI, Technical University

➔ Apprenticeships with masterscraftemen

➔ Customer specifications and jobs

research into maker movement in Ghana (3)

Innovation and Knowledge sharing

➔ Colleague artisans - freely share information and skills on new techniques and innovations

➔ Training institutions - learning and tinkering ➔ Informal sector apprenticeships - associations and mastercraftemen

facilitate innovation and knowledge sharing ➔ Customer specifications - artisans and their customers sharing to

enhance innovation

research into maker movement in Ghana (4)

Innovation governance in the informal sector;

Innovation and knowledge governance is a key pillar in the measurement of innovation in the information sector (IS)

What governance innovation in IS?

● Characterized by largely open sharing of skills, knowledge and innovation

● Informal sector associations -- norms and work ethics established promotes open sharing

● Almost 6 out of 10 artisans prefer some form of intellectual property working alongside open sharing

research into maker movement in Ghana (5)

Maker movement connection and need for external intervention

● First maker and external intervention by ITTU● Maker movement perceived as largely academic, hence wide gap exist

External invention needed;

● Maker movement as an enabler ● Replication of ITTU’s historical successes● Involvement of academia to share and implement relevant research● Improvement in working environment

research into maker movement in South Africa

Outlwile Maselwanyane

Student, Institute for Economic Research on

Innovation, Tshwane University of Technology

(TUT); and Open AIR Researcher

Pretoria South Africa

www.ieri.org.za

omaselwanyane@gmail.com

research into maker movement in South Africa (1)

2016 study of maker collectives in Gauteng Province

8 collectives studied:

● House4Hack

● BinarySpace

● Makerlabs

● Wits Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) Maker

Space

● MakerSpace, University of Pretoria

● eKasi Lab Ga-Rankuwa

● Geekulcha

● I Make Makers Lab

research by:

Dr. Erika Kraemer-Mbula (U. of

Johannesburg, an Open AIR South

Africa Hub) and Dr. Chris Armstrong

(Wits University, Johannesburg)

5 categories of findings

● outreach● skills development

● networking● innovation

● collaboration

research into maker movement in South Africa (2)

modes of innovation:● tinkering, hacking, DIY, organic

innovation● innovation born of poverty, necessity

● process innovation, incremental innovation

● re-purposing, recycling

modes of collaboration:

● learning- and knowledge-sharing

● adherence to the principle of openness

2016 Gauteng study findings on:

research into maker movement in South Africa (3)

2016-17 national scan of the South African maker movement

● data on more than 20 maker communities ● desktop research, emails, site visits, informal conversations, formal interviews, national

stakeholder workshop, action research

research into maker movement in South Africa (4)

● identified a set of 12 core variables

● research by Prof.Jeremy de Beer and

Meika Ellis of University of Ottawa (Open AIR

Canada Hub), Dr. Chris Armstrong (Wits

University, Johannesburg) and Dr.

Erika Kraemer-Mbula (U of Johannesburg, an

Open AIR South Africa Hub)

research into maker movement in South Africa (5)

● Robustness of communities of practice (CoPs)

● Embeddedness in broader networks

● Hetereogeneity of orientations towards innovation and enterprise development

● Emphasis on socioeconomic inclusion

● Stability of funding and revenue models, enhanced by diversification of revenue sources

● Establishment of niches, reputations and brands

● Favouring open rather than proprietary approaches to knowledge appropriation and intellectual property

(IP)

● Management of elements and degrees of institutionalisation

2016-17 national scan report proposes that sustainability can be viewed as function of:

research into maker movement in North Africa, Kenya; deepening of maker research in South Africa

Dr. Chris Armstrong

Visiting Fellow, LINK Centre, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits);

Research Associate, Centre for Law, Technology and Society,

University of Ottawa; and Open AIR Researcher

Johannesburg, South Africa; and Ottawa, Canada

www.wits.ac.za/linkcentre, https://techlaw.uottawa.ca

chris.armstrong@wits.ac.za

research into maker movement in North Africa (1)

● mapping of the existing makerspaces in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco

● semi-structured, in-depth interviews with managers and staff of 10 makerspaces (7 spaces in Egypt, 2 in Tunisia, 1 in Morocco)

● research led by Prof Nagla Rizk (Director) and Nagham El Houssamy (Senior Research Officer), Access to Knowledge for Development Center (A2K4D), The American University in Cairo (AUC), Open AIR North Africa Hub

findings, to be published in 2018, on:

● different makerspace models● types of innovation, learning, and skills

development● ownership, intellectual property and

informality● Scalability● recommendations of makerspaces on

how to measure innovation occurring in spaces

research into maker movement in North Africa (2)

Interviews with Cairo spaces

Fab Lab Egypt

Qafeer Makerspace

Fab Lab in New Cairo (FLiNC)

FabLab AUC

Interviews with Alexandria spaces

Karakeeb Makerspace

ICE Alex

Alex Hackerspace

Interviews with Tunisian

spaces

Fab Lab ENIT

Level 1 Tunisia

Interviews with Moroccan

spaceFab Lab Casablanca

research into maker movement in Kenya

● looking at 4 makerspaces in Nairobi, 1 in Kisumu, 3 in or around Mombasa

● located in universities, manufacturing parks, community centres, and/or incubation hubs

● a variety of governance models, from NGO-funded non-profits to for-profit corporations

research by:

● Victor Nzomo, Research Fellow,

Centre for IP and IT Law (CIPIT),

Strathmore University Law School,

Nairobi (Open AIR East Africa Hub) -

- see www.cipit.org

● Jeremiah Baarbé, Student,

University of Ottawa Faculty of Law

(Open AIR Canada Hub) -- see

https://commonlaw.uottawa.ca/en

Nairobi: e.g., Fablab Nairobi,

Gearbox

Photos: Jeremiah Baarbé

Fablab Nairobi

See www.facebook.com/fablabnairobi

Gearbox

See www.gearbox.co.ke

deepening of maker research in South Africa

● examining 3D printing and social entrepreneurship (South Africa and Kenya)

● examining intersections between making and socioeconomic inclusion (South Africa and Canada)

making and socioeconomic inclusion

● South African interviews in March 2018 with makers and maker community managers in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Hout Bay, Knysna

Raeketsetsa, Geekulcha, Pretoria

See http://raeketsetsa.geekulcha.com,

@raeketsetsa

Photo: Geekulcha

Raeketsetsa vision: "equip

young women from both

township and rural areas

with necessary skills in the

ICT field while realizing

entrepreneurship

opportunities"

“Raeketsetsa” in SeSotho

= “We are doing it

ourselves”

making and socioeconomic inclusion

(1)

eKasi Lab Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria North

A Goodwill

Mokoka (TAKi

Originals)

character,

“Retro”, a toy

made from

recycled

materials and

used in

animations

(copyright and

trademark Robot

Zulu 2016)

See www.theinnovationhub.com/business-incubators/ekasi-labs-4Photos: Chris Armstrong

making and socioeconomic inclusion

(2)

DIZ Maker Space, Wits University Tshimologong precinct, Johannesburg

Innovations by DIZ’s Phathwa Senene:

Smart Soccer Ball, Intelligent Pavement

See www.tshimologong.joburgPhotos: htxt Africa, Phathwa Senene, Chris Armstrong. Tshimologong

making and socioeconomic inclusion

(3)

Workspace, Hout Bay, Cape Town

Photos: Workspace, Meika EllisSee www.workspace.org.za

making and socioeconomic inclusion

(4)

research into making in Canada; research into biohacking

Vipal Jain

Juris Doctor (JD) Candidate, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa; and

Open AIR Researcher

Ottawa, Canada

https://commonlaw.uottawa.ca/en

vjain063@uottawa.ca

Research into making in Canada (1)

● Globalizing makerspace research● Replicating research based on insights gathered in African countries

○ Ex: Kenya, Egypt and South Africa● Comparative research on makerspaces in Canada

Research into making in Canada (2)

Two phases of the Canadian makerspace scan:

1) Map out and identify makerspaces across Canada- Gather preliminary information

1) Conduct interviews at selected spaces - Capture data in-depth

Research into making in Canada (3)

Goals of the comparative research:

● Understand similarities and differences between makerspaces across different countries

● Look at various factors:

Research into making in Canada (4)

Goals of the canadian makerspace research:

● Role of open technologies and inclusivity in promoting more inclusive innovation policies in Canada

Research into making in Canada (5)

Socioeconomic inclusivity in the Canadian context:

● Empowering Aboriginal communities● Challenges faced: colonial past; mistreatment of Aboriginal people ● Designing an innovation system better for communities on the ground

Research into making in Canada, and biohacking (6)

● New directions for makerspace research

● Confluence of maker movement in biotechnology

Research into making in Canada, and biohacking (7)

● Opportunity for developing countries to tap into science and technology→ Is the potential

unexplored?

future Open AIR research directions

Yaw Adu-Gyamfi

Co-Founder, Centre for Social Innovations

(CSI); and Open AIR Researcher

Kumasi, Ghana

http://csighana.org

yaw@csighana.org

future Open AIR research directions (1)

● Deeper research into existing themes (i.e., informal sector, high tech, indigenous entrepreneurs, metrics/laws/policies)

● Deeper research into existing topics (e.g., maker movements, international trade, gender dimensions).

future Open AIR research directions (2)

● more international comparative research, especially across/between regions, e.g. between developed and developing countries

● bringing African perspectives to teach lessons to rest of world

Open AIR’s partners

Q&A, discussion

if you want to stay in contact

Yaw Adu-Gyamfi: yaw@csighana.org

Outlwile Maselwanyane: omaselwanyane@gmail.com

Vipal Jain: vjain063@uottawa.ca

Chris Armstrong: chris.armstrong@wits.ac.za

www.openair.org.za