The Merits of Innovation Prizes
Incentive prizes do spur innovation. A study that investigated agricultural inventions in 19th-century Britain found a link between prizes and subsequent patents. The Royal Agricultural Society awarded nearly 2,000 prizes from 1839 to 1939, some worth £1m ($1.6m) in today’s money. The study found that not only were prize-winners more likely to receive and renew patents, but that even losing contestants sought patents for more than 13,000 inventions.
ATDF Journal Volume 6 Issue 3 & 4, 2009 - African Orphan Crops This special issue of the ATDF Journal is dedicated to the Orphan Crops of Africa. Although orphan crops are also known by different names (e.g. underutilized-, lost- or disadvantaged-crops), they all refer to a group of crops that are vital to the economy of developing countries due to their suitability to the agro-ecology and socio-economic conditions, but remain largely unimproved due to less attention has been given by the world scientific community. In order to boost food production in Africa emphasis should be given, not only to the major crops but also, to the orphan crops.
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ATDF Journal Volume 6 Issue 1&2, 2009 - A Focus on Education This issue of ATDF Journal Volume 6 is devoted to the multifaceted nature and the changing face of educational institutions – ranging from low cost private schools to national vocational and professional systems. It also addresses the different and critical roles that education plays in society – as a tool for economic and social development, economic recovery and technological advancement, among others.
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ATDF JOURNAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3 and 4 June 2008
This Issue of ATDF Journal looks at intra-firm trade as an increasing share of world trade takes place within firms. What kind of incentives are necessary to induce multinationals to collaborate more with the local private sector and local universities in developing countries; What kind of domestic policies are feasible and trade agreements to better embed multinational companies in the local economies. The experiences of selected Asian countries in promoting intrafirm trade are discuses. The topics include:[ Read more ]
ATDF JOURNAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1/2 OCT 2008 The ATDF Journal Volume 5 Issues 1/2 brings out some of the key policy implications, the causes and possible solutions to the world food crisis with a special focus on Africa. It explores the trends in investment and aid to agriculture in Africa, trade policy successes and failures and case studies of national agricultural strategies in a number of countries including Philippines and New Zealand. This issues draws on the extensive research and experience of international institutions, policy makers and researchers in agriculture to highlight some of the challenges that Africa faces and ways to overcome them. We hope you find this useful.
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Rethinking Industrial Policy
Few quarrel with the need for governments to help business with straightforward “horizontal” measures, such as research and development or fostering high-tech skills. But there is no accepted framework for “vertical” policy, favouring specific sectors and companies.
Monday 9 August 2010, by Webmaster Mens sana in corpore sano Research suggests that the control of diseases is crucial to a country’s development in a way that had not been appreciated before. Places that harbour a lot of parasites and pathogens not only suffer the debilitating effects of disease on their workforces, but also have their human capital eroded, child by child, from birth. Friday 16 July 2010, by Webmaster Just Published: Is Agricultural Biotechnology Part of Sustainable Agriculture? Most countries claim to be committed to sustainable agriculture. Yet, the meaning of the term ‘sustainable agriculture’ is largely shaped by influential stakeholders in the public debate and their respective agendas. Friday 16 July 2010, by Webmaster Profit-Seeking Start-ups vs. Rent-Seeking Bureaucracies The profit motive tends to get a bad press but it is often a lesser evil than the megalomania and waste engendered by office politics. Wednesday 23 June 2010, by Webmaster ECA launches an African technology network to generate value from research and development Monday 21 June 2010
Science with Africa conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, to be held in Addis Ababa from 23- 25 June 2010 Tuesday 8 June 2010
Cell Phones: Attitudes change to Business Friday 4 June 2010
Clean Energy: Developing Nations count up the opportunities Friday 4 June 2010
Innovation is the chief engine of economic development according to OECD Tuesday 1 June 2010
Initiating work on a "Green Development Mechanism" to deliver economic development opportunities by engaging the private sector Sunday 16 May 2010
The Next Empire? China’s Impact in Africa Saturday 15 May 2010
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