Webinar: Pathways to Scale: Strengthening the Bridge between Research, Innovation, and Economic Growth
The RISA Fund, a programme funded by UK International Development, is pleased to invite you to RISA Learning Webinar, a dynamic session focused on diverse pathways to scale in Africa’s Research and Innovation ecosystems.
Date: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Time: 16:00 EAT | 14:00 WAT | 13:00 GMT | 08:00 EST
About the Webinar
Pathways to scale emerge from a supportive ecosystem that combines institutional readiness, enabling national frameworks, government support for start-ups and finance, and stronger industry–academia linkages. These elements work together to drive innovation, entrepreneurial growth, and transform research into market impact, ultimately achieving broad adoption, integration, and sustainability at national and ecosystem levels.
The session will look into fostering research-to-commercialisation, empowering innovators and researchers, and strengthening systems that support scaling research outputs and innovation. The dialogue will include academia-industry linkages, research commercialisation through technology transfer offices, and early start-ups financing initiatives.
About RISA
The RISA Fund is a multi-country initiative funded by UK International Development from the UK government, designed to strengthen research and innovation systems across Africa. It brings together two complementary programmes under the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Research and Evidence Division – Strengthening Research Institutions in Africa (SRIA) and African Technology and Innovation Partnerships (ATIP) – to harness synergies and drive systemic change. Managed by a consortium comprising Chemonics UK, Results for Development, and SOAS University of London, RISA collaborates with a wide range of implementing partners including universities, innovation hubs, government agencies, private sector actors, and international development firms. The programme operates in six countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa, supporting locally driven solutions and fostering cross-sectoral learning and impact.
This content is produced in partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) an