2016

Empowering Innovation and

Entrepreneurship in Ethiopia
MASTERS THESIS IN PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT WORK

4FU42E

AUTHOR: REBEKAH TEGENE

30 MAY 2016
SUPERVISOR: HEIKO FRITZ
EXAMINER: JONAS EWALD
 ABSTRACT

This thesis investigates innovative entrepreneurship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The thesis is guided
by the National Innovation Systems theory, where innovation is seen as result of interactions and
learning between different institutions or actors.

The objective was to investigate how conducive is the national system of innovation of Ethiopia
in the perception of entrepreneurs and how relevant is the innovation policy of Ethiopia is to
innovative entrepreneurship.

A field study was conducted in order to collect empirical data through semi-structured interviews,
observations and participation. Most of the interviews took place in the innovation hub iceAddis
with most of the sample focusing on entrepreneurs that were members there.

The results of the field study show that the national system of innovation of Ethiopia is not
particularly conducive nor developed to empower to innovative entrepreneurs. Moreover, the
policy although very ambitious does not explicably aim to empower entrepreneur. Other goals of
the policy could have had spillover effects on entrepreneurs but they were not yet attained in the
perception of innovative entrepreneurs.

Keywords: Ethiopia, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, ICT, National Systems of Innovation

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis was embarked first in 2013 through a field study in Ethiopia. However, that year was
particularly complicated and the thesis remained on hold.

I would like to thank my dear friend Mehalet Yared for the continuous psychological support and
motivation to finish this thesis.

I want to also thank my family for not losing faith in me and encouraging me to finish my studies
after all these years of being absent from my studies.

I want to also thank all the interviewees that gave me chance to get to know them and participate
in the activities and observe them in their world.

Finally special thanks for Heiko Fritz for always giving me second chances and continuous
support, also thank the staff at Peace and Development Work for letting me participate in the
thesis defense.

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 Table of Contents
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iv
List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... viii
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Research Topic...................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Research Problem ................................................................................................................. 3

1.3 Research Objective and Questions........................................................................................ 3

1.4 Research Significance ........................................................................................................... 4

1.5 Methodological Research Framework .................................................................................. 4

1.6 Theoretical and Analytical Framework ................................................................................ 5

1.7 Limitations and Delimitations............................................................................................... 5

1.8 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................................... 6

1.9 Disposition ............................................................................................................................ 6

2. Theoretical and Analytical Framework: National Systems of Innovation .............................. 8

2.1 History of NSI ....................................................................................................................... 8

2.2 Definition ............................................................................................................................ 10

2.3 Overview of NSI ................................................................................................................. 12

2.4 NSI and This Study ............................................................................................................. 13

2.4.1 NSI and Peace and Development in Low-Income Nations ......................................... 13

2.4.2 How This Thesis Uses NSI .......................................................................................... 13

Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 13
3.1 Overarching Methodological Approach ............................................................................. 14

3.2 Data Collection Methods .................................................................................................... 15

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 3.2.1 Sampling ...................................................................................................................... 15

3.2.2 Interviews ..................................................................................................................... 16

3.2.3 Observations ................................................................................................................ 16

3.2.4 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................... 17

3.2.5 Reliability and Validity ................................................................................................ 17

3.2.6 Limitations ................................................................................................................... 17

3.2.7 Delimitations ................................................................................................................ 18

3.2.9 Triangulation ................................................................................................................ 18

3.2.10 Reflexive Analysis ..................................................................................................... 18

Background ................................................................................................................................... 20
4.1 Ethiopian Economy Overview ............................................................................................ 20

4.2 Policies and Growth Plans .................................................................................................. 21

4.3 Private Sector and Entrepreneurship ................................................................................... 21

4.4 Doing Business in Ethiopia ................................................................................................. 22

4.5 Ethiopian Innovation Policy ............................................................................................... 24

4.6 Budget for Research and Development .............................................................................. 25

4.7 Access to Technology ......................................................................................................... 27

4.8 Ethiopian Institutions Working in ICT and Innovation ...................................................... 28

4.8.1 ICT-ET ......................................................................................................................... 28

4.8.2 ICT Center of Excellence............................................................................................. 29

4.8.3 iceAddis ....................................................................................................................... 29

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Findings......................................................................................................................................... 31
5.1 Innovation Capacity ............................................................................................................ 31

5.1.1 Capacity Building Innovation through Universities .................................................... 31

5.1.2 Capacity Building through Development Projects ...................................................... 33

5.1.3 Collaboration between Capacity Building Institutions ................................................ 34

5.2 Innovation Environment ..................................................................................................... 35

5.2.1 Business Restrictions ................................................................................................... 36

5.2.2 STI Policy .................................................................................................................... 36

5.3 Innovation Resources .......................................................................................................... 37

5.3.1 Access to technology ................................................................................................... 37

5.3.2 Access to Finance ........................................................................................................ 38

5.4 Summary of Findings .......................................................................................................... 39

5.4.1 Restrictions and Weaknesses ....................................................................................... 39

5.4.2 Strengths and Opportunities ......................................................................................... 39

Analysis......................................................................................................................................... 41
6.1 National System of Innovation ........................................................................................... 41

6.1.1 Government and Policy................................................................................................ 42

6.1.2 Public Institutions and Higher Education .................................................................... 43

6.1.3 Private Enterprises ....................................................................................................... 44

6.1.4 Intermediaries .............................................................................................................. 44

6.2 Technological Resources .................................................................................................... 45

6.3 Financial Resources ............................................................................................................ 46

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 6.4 Summary of Analysis .......................................................................................................... 47

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 48
7.1 Future Research and Recommendations ............................................................................. 50

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 51
Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 55

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 List of Abbreviations

CoE ICT Center of Excellence

EPRDF Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

GTP Growth and Transformation Plan

ICT Information, Communication and Technology

ICT-ET The Information & Communication Technology Association-Ethiopia

INSA The Information Network Security Agency of Ethiopia

NSI National Systems of Innovation

MoST Ministry of Science and Technology

OECD The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

SME Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise

STI Science, Technology and Innovation

TA Thematic Analysis

TeCAT Ethiopian Technology Capability Accumulation and Transfer System

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 Introduction

This chapter presents the research topic, problem and objective. It gives a brief explanation on
how innovation is discussed in the developmental context and links it to current Ethiopian efforts
to stimulate innovation in their economy.

1.1 Research Topic

Innovation and specifically technological innovation has huge potential in fostering sustainable
development and economic growth. As the promotion of traditional policies of privatization,
liberalization and deregulation have clearly established substantial limits in promoting sustainable
growth, a growing interest in nurturing technology and innovation has sprung out in the developing
world. (Aubert, 2004: 6)

The World Bank (2010) published a report on the significance of innovation for developing
nations, which highlighted the overarching importance of appropriate policies and measures to
support innovation and technology advances. To promote innovation, it is recommended that
developing nations take a broad and multilateral approach that focuses, heavily, on long-term
strategies aimed at increasing research and development efforts. Moreover, the primary role of
the government should be to act as a facilitator of innovation and entrepreneurship. Each
government must enact policies, laws, incentives, and even subsidies to encourage businesses and
individuals to innovate and start new businesses. It is the responsibility of the government to create
an environment conducive to innovation and to eliminate possible barriers. Furthermore, to create
an appropriate environment, governments must be willing to compromise and focus on improving
already-existing policies and regulations, establishing research and development opportunities and
institutions, and enacting new and better financing options. Support must also be directed towards
forming close partnerships and cooperations with the private sector and institutes of higher
education to increase research and development opportunities. (World Bank 2010: 2-3)

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a report on
recommendations for developing nations to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Much of
its findings reflected those of the World Bank. Particularly, OECD stressed the relationship

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between innovation and economic growth, and highlighted that innovation can be an excellent tool
for addressing the severe socio-economic challenges and obstacles currently plaguing developing
nations, such as poverty, job shortages, insufficient healthcare and food insecurity. (OECD, 2012,
p. 12).

Innovation is generally defined as the overarching process of translating an idea or concept into a
good or service that creates value or for which customers are willing to pay. Entrepreneurship is
defined as the willingness and capacity to develop, manage, organize, and oversee a new business
venture and to take on numerous risks in hopes of making a profit. (Aubert, 2005, p. 6).
Importantly, in the context of developing nations, innovation does not, necessarily, signify
something new in absolute terms; rather innovation can simply refer a product or service that is
new to a particular economy. Oftentimes, innovation in developing nation equates to simply taking
a product or service that already exists in the developed world and introducing it to the developing
economy. (Aubert, 2010, p. 1) This is how entrepreneurs, oftentimes, play the most vital and
significant role in the innovation process. They are the ones who take the risks, adapt, and then
introduce the ideas, products, and technologies into developing economies. Therefore, their role
cannot be overstated, and it is essential for governments, economic experts, and policymakers to
recognize the intimate link between innovation and entrepreneurship. (Aubert 2004)

To date, Ethiopia has begun to implement some of the recommendations provided by the World
Bank and OECD to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2012, Ethiopia published its
ambitious Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STI Policy) which readily recognizes the
need to build the nation’s technology capabilities and infrastructure to encourage innovation,
entrepreneurship, and economic growth. Moreover, the Information & Communication
Technology Association-Ethiopia (ICT-ET) was established in 2010 to promote research and
development in ICT and facilitate collaboration and networking between ICT companies and
cooperation with the public sector. Additionally, international organizations have in partnership
with Ethiopian Universities invested into business incubators (also known as hubs or technology-
parks). These entities are viewed as pertinent developments that serve as a cost-effective means
of bridging universities and students with the private sector.

Undoubtedly, the Ethiopian government is taking seriously the need to focus on innovation and
technology to improve its economy. However, the degree to which these policies, aims, projects,
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and initiatives are relevant to actual entrepreneurs living in Addis Ababa is not clear. Nor is it clear
how individual entrepreneurs use and benefit from them. Furthermore, there is much debate over
their efficiency and strength.

1.2 Research Problem

While significant research has been conducted to indicate the significance of innovation and
entrepreneurship, little or no qualitative research has been done pertaining to the perceptions of
entrepreneurs in developing nations concerning the conduciveness of local environments for
conducting business. Specifically, there is practically no research on the nature of already-existing
innovation and technology initiatives, projects, and networks in Ethiopia. Rather, the vast majority
of research has tended to focus on policy models and recommendations aimed at fostering
entrepreneurship using a top-down approach. Also, a significant amount of existing literature
pertains to larger industries, such as agriculture, education, and textiles; however, the small yet
growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs in Ethiopia has
received little to no scholarly attention. Furthermore, the voice of entrepreneurs that focus on
technology and innovation start-up companies has not been heard. It is uncertain if their needs are
being met, and how the government can better alter its policies and incentives to create a more
appealing environment for innovation and growth.

1.3 Research Objective and Questions

Based on the gaps in research and scholarly literature, this thesis attempts to shed light on the
overall usefulness and effectiveness of Ethiopia’s policies, plans, initiatives, and projects aimed to
promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. Ultimately, it aims to help close the research gap.

Specifically, the main objective of this thesis is to explore innovation and entrepreneurship in
Ethiopia through using national systems of innovation (NSI) theory as a conceptual framework.
Furthermore, the thesis strives to identify some of the challenges and obstacles innovative
entrepreneurs face while trying to establish and conduct business in Ethiopia.

In order to assess and examine these overarching research objectives, the following questions will
be explored:

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 1. In the estimation of innovative entrepreneurs, how conducive is Ethiopia’s current national
system of innovation?

2. To what degree are the innovation policies and initiatives put into place by the government
of Ethiopia relevant to individual entrepreneurs?

1.4 Research Significance

This thesis will attempt to close a gap in the literature pertaining to the effectiveness of Ethiopia’s
policies and existing institutions to promote entrepreneurship and innovation within the nation.
Ultimately, the findings of this research will also endeavor to shed light on the ways in which the
Ethiopian government can alter its programs and policies to better fit the needs of entrepreneurs.
Thus this thesis will highlight how Ethiopia can empower innovative entrepreneurship and
increase potential to grow towards a knowledge-lead economy.

1.5 Methodological Research Framework

This thesis consisted, primarily, of a field study carried out in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In general,
an ethnographical approach was taken, coupled with elements common to case studies. The
primary methods used to gather data were individual and group interviews and observations. In
total, fourteen individual and one group interview (consisting of four individuals) were conducted.
The interviews took on a semi-structured format and consisted of open-ended questions to promote
discussion. Most of the interviewees were members of iceAddis – a business incubator and
innovation hub location within the University of Addis Ababa. A few were held in local cafes and
parks. The observations were all conducted at iceAddis. The findings obtained from them were
used to supplement the interview data.

Furthermore, secondary data and sources were employed in order to triangulate and analyze the
data gathered from the field research. Both primary and secondary sources were used.

Primarily, these secondary data sources were used to compliment field findings and increase the
overall reliability and validity of the findings and results. Moreover, they were useful in providing
a theoretical background for the study. Most of these sources focused on exploring the

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entrepreneurship climate in Ethiopia and pertinent concepts relevant to innovation,
entrepreneurship, and business incubators within the context of the developing world.

Importantly, the research was qualitative in nature and used abduction as the mode of
inference. The researcher chose to employ a qualitative research approach because it was the best
method available to explore the research objective, answer the overarching research questions, and
obtain a better and more holistic understanding on how to empower innovation and
entrepreneurship in Ethiopia.

1.6 Theoretical and Analytical Framework

This conceptual framework employed for this thesis is based on the National Systems of
Innovation (NSI) theory first pioneered by Christopher Freeman and dating back to the 1980s and
later developed, further, by Bent-Åke Lundvall in the 1990s. NSI theory is rooted in the basic
assumption that the entrepreneur or SME firm is the primary actor of innovation and, therefore,
these individuals and firms must be properly understood to promote innovation and development.
Yet, NSI theory recognizes and emphasizes the influence and impact of the environment in which
an entrepreneur or firm is trying to operate and holds that the nature of the environment serves to
either facilitate/ promote or constrain/ hinder the innovation process. Moreover, per this
conceptual framework, the interactions and relationships between the firm or entrepreneur and the
relevant institutions, governments, universities, and various other key players and stakeholders
impact the formation and outcome of innovation. Importantly, NSI theory emphasizes that, even
with globalization becoming ever-more prevalent, nations still remain legitimate points of analysis
and should be studied in their own right. (Muchie, 2006: 317)

1.7 Limitations and Delimitations

Due to the nature of the research design and approach (i.e., a field study consisting of observations
and interviews coupled with a qualitative literature review), the findings will not be readily
generalizable. Rather, they will pertain only to the specific study group. Larger generalizations
cannot and should not be drawn from the research findings. This tightly defined group to be studied
(i.e., entrepreneurs working in Addis Ababa and associated with iceAddis) also serves as a
delimitation. The field study only sets out to explore the individual perspectives of innovative

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entrepreneurs operating in Addis, Ababa regarding the effectiveness and usefulness of government
initiatives to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Ethiopia. Therefore, the study was
limited to Addis Ababa entrepreneurs, and most primary stakeholders were members of iceAddis.
Significantly, secondary stakeholders were obtained from a larger pool and were actors in their
own right. Another limitation is the lack of access to primary empirical data concerning the
contribution of innovation and entrepreneurship to the Ethiopian economy. Moreover, the study
only consisted of fourteen individual interviews and one, four-member group interview, which is
a relatively small sample, and the total time in the field was only one month, which is considered
relatedly short.

1.8 Ethical Considerations

The ethical considerations in this research pertain to the field study. The interviews itself should
not cause harm to the participants as the research questions do not require the participants to
disclose any endangering information. However, in case the participants enclose information that
might cause harm to themselves, the researcher will take the necessary steps to ensure and re-
confirm the permission to use the information given as data for the thesis and inform the participant
of the potential harm. Also another consideration during the interviews and observation will most
probably be in the protection of new innovation ideas, intellectual property and the participant’s
privacy.

1.9 Disposition
This first chapter aimed to provide a general overview of the research project and its aims,
ambitions, significance, and methodological and conceptual design. Chapter two focuses on the
conceptual and conceptual framework used for this thesis. It highlights the work of Freeman and
Lundvall on the NSI theory. Chapter three outlines the methodology employed for this study, and
emphasizes the importance of Creswell and Mikkelsen’s studies on research methodology.
Chapter four elaborates on the relevant background of innovative entrepreneurship in Ethiopia,
current government policies and initiatives that both directly or indirectly impact innovation and
entrepreneurship, and the status of Ethiopian institutes of higher education and other institutions.
Chapter five presents the findings of the field study. Chapter six provides an analysis and

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discussion of the findings using NSI theory as a theoretical and conceptual tool. Finally, chapter
seven includes a conclusion and recommendations for future research.

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 2. Theoretical and Analytical Framework: National
Systems of Innovation

This chapter presents the theoretical and analytical framework used in this thesis. The analytical framework
will be the main model when analyzing the findings. The chapter begins by shortly reviewing literature on
different conceptualizations the NSI theory moving onto the different definitions and

2.1 History of NSI

The concept of national systems of innovation (NSI) was first proposed by Christopher Freeman.
It sprung largely as a response to the Washington Consensus and to the neoclassical approaches of
development economics. Freeman’s theory drew heavily from the early conceptualizations of the
Schumpeterian economic growth model, where the entrepreneur was in the center of innovation
and economic growth. However, Freeman maintained that the neoclassical and linear models of
economic growth were for the most part, completely inadequate since they ignored the pivotal role
of innovation, technological changes, advancements, and evolutions. Rather for Freeman as
Schumpeter, technological change and innovation were in the center of economic growth and
development. (Watkins et al., 2015: 3) Moreover, innovation in the NSI concept is understood as
not only as the work of individual entrepreneurs and firms but rather as a collective effort. An
effort that requires extensive, and diverse sets of knowledge and resources and expertise. Thus, the
concept of NSI to economic growth emphasizes that different countries will have different
capacities for innovation. Furthermore, unlike the neoclassical growth models, NSI theory places
importance on the role that governments and collective entities play in generating and diffusing in
innovation in a national economy. Implicating that institutions can create and facilitate an
environment where collective knowledge can be more easily exchanged and, thus enable
innovation. (Watkins et al, 2014: 3)

The earliest discourse on the concept of NSI tried to identity the pertinent institutions and
interactions which existed in already economically developed nations. The very first institutions
identified by NSI researchers were governments and their subsidiaries and supporting agencies
that worked to promote and facilitate innovation within their nations. Then, moved on to study
the role of individual and joint economic sectors and industries that were comprised of private and

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public firms and contributed to innovation within the nation. Third, these researchers noted that
universities, research labs, and areas of higher learning were pivotal in the process as well, and set
out to study their role in facilitating innovation within their respective states. (Watkins et al., 2015:
3-4) Finally, miscellaneous public and private organizations and key players were identified,
studied, and analyzed to see how they contributed to their nations’ innovation systems. NSI,
therefore, was, from its earliest days, largely concerned with how these four different sets of key
players interacted with each other. This four-tiered system of interactions is what NSI theorists
refer to as a variety of user-producer linkages that work to facilitate information sharing leading
to cumulative and collective learning. Per Arrow (1962), learning by doing is central to both
innovation and institutional capacity building (Watkins et al., 2015: 3).

As the NSI concept grew and evolved, scholars recognized the need to incorporate ideas, concepts,
and frameworks from other innovation models. Particularly, NSI theory picked up the notion that
learning and innovation should be viewed as non-linear and recursive processes that rely on
effective and efficient feedback loops between individual actors and institutions. These feedback
loops would serve to improve inventions, research and development initiatives, and produce
commercialization efforts. Therefore, the NIS concept began to place a tremendous amount of
significance on the evolutionary and path-dependent nature of technological change. Per this new
emphasis, individual nation’s historical context had to be studied and understood in order to
examine the nature of innovation within the national context. (Watkins et al., 2015: 3-4)

At first, the NSI framework was primarily focused on studying NSI at the macro-economic level.
Lundvall (2007) notes that, during the early years, it aimed to capture, conceptualize, and
understand the system as a holistic unit rather than the more essential underlying processes of the
system. This narrow and superficial approach produced unintentional consequences, and framed
NSI as a structurally static and unchanging system, particularly when it was applied as a tool for
policymaking. Patel and Pavitt (1994) argue that the early NSI concept centered on large and
small firms as the core institutions by which innovations were both invented and commercialized.
Per this earlier framework, the other actors played an important but secondary role as supporting
entities. Overall, NSI theory held that governments provided the incentives and support, through
policies and regulation, for innovative businesses to thrive. Universities, on the other hand, were

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responsible for cultivating and developing new ideas and training new talent to serve as human
resources. They were also considered to be key for research and development initiatives.

However, later work, particularly performed by Lundvall (2007) and Leydesdorff and Etzkowitz
(2001) challenged this framework and questioned the overarching firm-centric approach to NSI.
They began to see that all of these entities played a vital and key role in innovation and technology
development, and that the role of the firm should not be prioritized over the other actors.
Specifically, these later scholars and studies challenged the prevailing notion that the government
only served as a passive (albeit necessary) player in NIS dynamics. These older notions were the
direct result of the macro level focus and the failure to look at the micro level as well. Furthermore,
earlier NSI frameworks tended to avoid politics, altogether. In doing so, these frameworks ignored
the political processes by which national government exert influence and direct NSI initiatives.
Later models readily recognized this shortcoming and added this dimension to the NSI conceptual
model.

2.2 Definition
Like most theories and frameworks, there is no single, agreed upon definition for NSI
(alternatively referred to as National Innovation Systems – NIS). NSI has been defined, over the
years, in a variety of ways, each shedding light on important aspects of the theory. Freeman (1987)
defined NSI as “the network of institutions in the public and private sectors whose activities and
interactions initiate, import, modify and diffuse new technologies.” Later, Lundvall (1992)
restructured the definition as follows “the elements and relationships which interact in the
production, diffusion and use of new, and economically useful, knowledge ... and are either located
within or rooted inside the borders of a nation state.” The following year, Nelson (1993) challenged
Lundvall’s understanding of NSI and defined it as “a set of institutions whose interactions
determine the innovative performance ... of national firms” (Nelson, 1993). Patel and Pavitt (1994)
offer the following definition “the national institutions, their incentive structures and their
competencies, that determine the rate and direction of technological learning (or the volume and
composition of change generating activities) in a country.” Finally, Metcalfe (1995) provide the
most extensive definition:

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NSI is that set of distinct institutions which jointly and individually contribute to the development
and diffusion of new technologies and which provides the framework within which governments
form and implement policies to influence the innovation process. As such it is a system of
interconnected institutions to create, store and transfer the knowledge, skills and artefacts which
define new technologies.

The numerous, diverse, and nuanced definitions provided by all of these highly respected scholars
testifies to the complexity of the theory and its evolution over the course of time. Importantly,
each of these attempts to define NSI shed light on its key elements.

OECD (2012), which recognizing the merits of each of these as well as other definitions, offers its
own understanding of what, specifically, NSI entails. It maintains that the whole concept of NSI
rests on the basic premise that understanding the pertinent and oftentimes complex links between
the various actors involved in the innovation process is essential to improving and augmenting
technology performance. Ultimately, innovation and technology progress are the direct result of
the set of relationships between actors producing, distributing, and applying various types of
knowledge. Each nation’s innovation performance, ultimately, depends on how these various
actors relation to each other, work together, and function individual and as a corporate unit. They
serve as elements of a collective system of knowledge and are defined by the types of technologies
they create, use, and distribute. OECD (2012) stresses that these various actors are, for the most
part, private enterprises, public research institutes, universities, and the people either directly or
indirectly within them. Links between these entities take the form of personnel exchanges, joint
research projects, cross-patenting, joint purchases, and a myriad of other channels. OECD (2012)
concludes that, since there is no one, single, universally accepted definition of NSI, the importance
lies in the web of interactions between actors within a national system.

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2.3 Overview of NSI

The NSI measurement and assessment of innovation systems, traditionally, has focused on four
specific types of information flows (Watkins et al., 2015: 3):

- The interactions and exchanges amongst enterprises, public research institutes, and
universities;

- The interactions and exchanges amongst enterprises in general and join-venture research
endeavors and technical collaborations in particular;

- The diffusion and dissipation of technology and knowledge to business and enterprises,
particularly in the form of equipment and machinery; and

- The mobility of human resources and the overall movement of technically trained
personnel within and between the private and public sectors.

Studies have shown that nations which, successfully and appropriately, link these flows produce
positive results. High levels of technology dissipation and diffusion, technical networking and
collaboration, and human resources mobility contribute to improved innovative capacities,
particularly in terms of patents, productivity, and products. (Watkins et al., 2015)

There are many ways in which NSI can be analyzed. Innovation surveys are, oftentimes, used at
the individual enterprise-level; whereas, cluster analysis are, typically, more beneficial at assessing
and analyzing the interactions between many, different enterprises and sectors. Moreover, NSI
can be studied at a functional level where basic

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2.4 NSI and This Study

2.4.1 NSI and Peace and Development in Low-Income Nations

Studies show that prosperous nations that have a well-developed economy and governments that
promote economic stability, entrepreneurship, and growth are much more stable than nations with
less-developed economies ruled by governments that are not concerned with economic growth
(Arner, 2007). In general, there is a direct correlation between economic prosperity and stability.
By promoting innovation and development, nations can build their economies and provide citizens
with education, employment, and a means of alleviating poverty and the myriad of health and
social issues that stem from high rates of poverty. This stabilizes a nation by making the citizens
more content, less prone to extremism, and more productive. Moreover, it improves quality of life
and has positive impacts not only for the individual nation, but also for the nation’s trade partners.
NSI research helps nations to identify ways they can promote technology and innovation,
encourage entrepreneurship, and develop their economies for long-term stability. (Arner, 2007)

The NSI theory dominates the current discussion on innovation in developing countries, where
developing economies are encouraged to apply this understanding of systemic nature of innovation
and emphasis of the national context when promoting innovation. As mentioned in the introduction
many international organizations have published recommendations and papers to developing
countries on innovation and they all are heavily based on the NSI theory.

2.4.2 How This Thesis Uses NSI

The theory of NSI in this thesis is primarily used as theoretical framework by taking the basic
assumption that innovation occurs when institutions interact and exchange knowledge in nationally
supported framework. As the aim of the thesis is to identify some of the challenges and obstacles
innovative entrepreneurs face while trying to establish and conduct business in Ethiopia, NSI
theory helped to identify assess the role of each of the actors in Ethiopia’s NSI system. The main
function of NSIs in regard to entrepreneurs is to build their capacity, focus resources and create an
overall conducive environment for innovation. Thus the findings will be

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Methodology

This chapter presents the research design and research methods used in this study.

3.1 Overarching Methodological Approach

Creswell (2008) stresses the importance of recognizing ontological and philosophical approaches
that either directly or indirectly influence a research project’s methodological design. For this
project, the overarching paradigm utilized was the social constructivist worldview. Per this
worldview, individuals are not homogenized nor isolated entities; rather each person embodies
their own filters and lives within a certain culture. As a result, each person constructs their own
realities in relation to one another. This paradigm holds that reality is both experiential and
subjective. In this regard, knowledge is not absolute. Moreover, the researcher is not outside of the
system; rather, they are part of it. With this methodological approach, findings tend be more
idiosyncratic than generalizable. The overarching goal of social constructivism is to understand
and structure; it is not designed to predict. Generally, this theory utilizes qualitative research
approaches. Qualitative research allows the meaning of a phenomena to be explored from
individual perspectives and the unique views of the participants (Creswell 2008: 16). In the case
of this study, the interviewees will serve as the participants and the phenomena to be explored will
be innovative entrepreneurship.

The research data was collected through a field study. According to Mikkelsen (2005), field
studies are based on the premise that individual opinion, perception, and worldview matters and
can shed significant light on a wide range of social, political, economic, and legal issues. Per
Mikkelsen (2005), some of the more common tools used in field study research are interviews and
participant observations. (Mikkelsen, 2005: 47). These were precisely the qualitative research
methods chosen by the researcher, primarily because they allow a more holistic form of
interpretive inquiry. This was deemed the most appropriate way to answer the overarching research
question (Creswell 2008: 176). Moreover, it was determined that the exclusively qualitative
research methods, as opposed to either quantitative or mixed-methods, were best suited for this

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study because they allow for a more focused analysis and understanding of participants’ points of
view.

3.2 Data Collection Methods

3.2.1 Sampling

The field study sample was obtained using snowball sampling. Atkinson and Flint (2001) describe
this approach as “a non-probability sampling technique that is used by researchers to identify
potential subjects in studies where subjects are hard to locate.” However, the very first interview
conducted did not use this technique; rather, it was the result of a stakeholder analysis which was
conducted prior to the field study. It helped to prepare for the field study by providing the
researcher a primary contact in addition to access to the region’s technology hub iceAddis. All
other interviewees were obtained using the snowball sampling technique. In total fourteen
individual and one group interview were conducted consisting of four participants. The first initial
interview was arranged by a stakeholder analysis and then through that interview a list of contacts
of entrepreneurs in iceAddis was obtained. This list of contacts became the main point of departure
in finding the entrepreneurs and the main selection criterion. Furthermore interviewees were
sourced in iceAddis by spending time there and attending events and networking. Out of the fifteen
interviews, nine were associated with iceAddis. Five interviewees were independent entrepreneurs
and four were stakeholders working with different organization related to innovation including
iceAddis. (See Appendix C)

The sample itself ended up being quite small due to the fasting season that was going on in
Ethiopia. Also some interviewees that were approached in iceAddis did not want to be interviewed.
Furthermore it became very arduous to find female interviewees. One female approached in
iceAddis declined an interview due to her feeling insufficient to give information around the topic.
However the interviewees that did participate were happy to share their experiences and interested
in discussing the topic.

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3.2.2 Interviews

The primary means of data collection for the field study was interviews. Mikkelsen (2005) details
the benefits of conducting personal and focus-group interviews to gain a richer and more holistic
understanding of the studied phenomenon. . The interviews were guided by a set of open-ended
questions. Therefore, the interviews were semi-structured. (See Appendix A). This type of
interview was deemed most appropriate for the purposes of the study and to best gain valuable
insight into the overarching research questions. Semi-structured interviews are appropriate
because, with them, interviewees are at liberty to answer questions in their own words and expand
on what they feel is essential and worth noting; however, the overarching interview is till structured
and less likely to run the risk of deviating off course. Also, the data obtained from semi-structured
interviews can readily be coded and compared (May, 2011: 135). Yet another benefit of a semi-
structured interview is that it allows for an appropriate level of flexibility and enables the
interviewer and interviewee to engage in meaningful, productive dialogue. Significantly, the
interviewer can probe for explanations and clarifications beyond the answers provided by the
interviewee (May, 2011: 134).

The sole group interview ended up being even more open and gave the interviewees a chance to
discuss and compare their own thoughts and opinions as well as engage in a debate amongst
themselves. Particularly fruitful were interviews with members of iceAddis, since, the majority of
the time, these interviews were followed by a demonstration of the interviewee’s product or
business venture. Each interview was between 60 minutes and 120 minutes in duration.

3.2.3 Observations

Mikkelsen (2005) notes that “Observation of physical structures, social differences, behavior,
action and symbols, in solitude or with others with whom observations are discussed, provides
important information for posing central questions” (p. 88). In general, observations during all
phases of a field study contributed vital information on key factors concerning the subject being
observed.

Four observations simply consisted of spending time in iceAddis; however, one observation
involved attending a specific event at iceAddis. These observations proved incredibly useful for
assessing the use of space; witnessing professional networking activities; and understanding how
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different companies and/ or individuals used their time to develop their business. Observations
lasted between 1 and 2 hour each.

3.2.4 Data Analysis

The method chosen to analyze the data from the interviews, observations and participation was
thematic analysis (TA). Thematic analysis refers to seeking patterns within the qualitative data, a
set of patterned responses per say. (Braun et al., 2006: 10) Furthermore, it is a method for
identifying, analyzing and reporting these patterns that arise. It offers an accessible and a
theoretically flexible approach to analyzing the data. In this research it was essentially used to seek
themes to divide and organize the findings. Within this thesis three core themes emerged. Those
being innovation capacity, environment and resources. Identifying these three core themes thus set
a more structured way to use the NSI as a point of departure for understanding and creating
meaning to the data in the analysis.

3.2.5 Reliability and Validity

According to Mikkelsen (2005), reliability refers to “how consistent the results are, and validity
means whether an interview study investigates what is intended to be investigated” (p. 177).
Moreover, Mikkelsen (2005) stresses that it is vital for the researcher to not take everything that is
said during an interview or observation at face value; rather, it is the job of the researcher to
question, critically, the information provided to ensure credibility and reliability. Per Mikkelsen,
“This critical checking can pertain to the observational evidence of the interviewee's statements,
as well as to their logical consistency” (p. 178).

3.2.6 Limitations

The most significant limitation of the study was the small sample size (14 individual interviews
and 1 group interview). Another limitation was the relatively short period of time that was actually
spend in the field, which was one month. Overall, the sample was small and only took into
consideration start-up businesses. It specifically focused on technology-based entrepreneurs
working in Addis Ababa. Therefore, the findings are limited and not generalizable to the larger
population. Rather the findings serve as a case study, and additional research is needed to obtain
conclusions that can be generalized to a broader population.
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Moreover it is important to acknowledge the fact of bias that might relate to the fact that I the
researcher also have an Ethiopian background that might pose some type of subjective bias as
relates to researching the topic. However in order to combat this possible bias, an emphasis of
highlighting the

3.2.7 Delimitations

Delimitations are choices made by the researcher that describe the boundaries set for the study.
The study was limited to Addis Ababa entrepreneurs. Moreover, all primary stakeholders were
members of iceAddis. Significantly, secondary stakeholders were obtained from a larger pool and
were actors in their own right.

3.2.9 Triangulation

Mikkelsen (2005), defines triangulation as “using different methods, sources and disciplines and
a range of informants in a range of places, and cross-checking to get closer to the truth through
successive approximations” (p. 70). This overarching concept of triangulation was used to validate
the obtained data. Particularly, the researcher sought-out a range of informants and used two
different data collection methodologies – semi-structured interviews and observations – to obtain
diversified data. However, the researcher did not obtain information from “informants in a range
of places.”

3.2.10 Reflexive Analysis

Reflexivity as a concept is directed in understanding presuppositions, choices, experiences and

actions that during the research process might arise when embarking on a qualitative. While using
TA as method in coding the data it becomes essential to also reflect on possible biases that might
affect the analysis of the data.

Thus I as researcher recognize that some of the preconceived notions that I hold, specifically linked
to my own Ethiopian background might in adversely affect the interviewee-interviewer
relationship. Moreover, as the NSI suggests the nation state holds a key position in promoting

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innovation, thus many of the critiques can be highly politicized and require a great effort in being
as objective as possible and attempt to create a sense of trust.

One method employed to create trust was assuring the interviewees choice of remaining
anonymous. Secondly, more general questions about the entrepreneurs ideas were designed to be
in the beginning to allow the interviewees ease up to the more reflective topics. Moreover, it is
important to emphasize that the fact I as a student could also have something that most of the
interviewees can relate to.

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Background

This chapter aims to present key background information in order to fully comprehend the overall
environment, where the entrepreneurs operate in Ethiopia. This is done in order to understand
and triangulate the empirical data from the interviews that will be presented in the findings
chapter. The chapter begins by going through an overview of the economy, key policies and overall
business climate and then follows a description of key institutions linked to innovation in Ethiopia.

4.1 Ethiopian Economy Overview

According to the World Bank (2016), Ethiopia has a population of 97 million making it the second
most populous nation in Sub-Sahara Africa. Over the past twenty years, Ethiopia has seen its
population triple in size, and as of 2014, its population growth rate was 2.5% (The World Bank,
2016). Additionally, Ethiopia has witnessed incredibly fast economic growth, averaging around
10.8% percent per year from 2003/04 – 2013/2014. This is much higher than Sub-Sahara Africa’s
regional average of around 5%. Furthermore, this growth is linked to Ethiopia’s public-sector lead
development strategies and investments. (The World Bank, 2016)

This public-sector lead development has its roots embedded in Ethiopia’s history. Ethiopia was a
communist state up until 1991, when the current government lead by the EPRDF party took over.
This history of communism still has remnants in the current Ethiopian economy. Many large
corporations are still state-owned and all land is regarded as state property. However, Ethiopia is
slowly beginning to privatize state-owned entities and has aims to strengthen the private sector
(The World Bank, 2016).

Despite its rapidly growing economy, Ethiopia is still one of the poorest nations in the world with
a per capita income of around $550 (The World Bank, 2016). However, its swift economic growth
has greatly helped to reduce poverty rates throughout the nation, in rural and urban settings. In
2004-2005, an estimated 38.7% of Ethiopians lived in extreme poverty; in 2009-2010, this number
fell to around 29.6% (The World Bank, 2016).

Ethiopia is an agrarian society with about 85% of its workforce employed in agriculture. About
64.4% of its GDP comes from agriculture-derived revenue. (Index Mundi, 2013). Most of its
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recent economic growth has transpired in the service and agriculture sectors. Manufacturing sector
growth has been modest. Demand-side growth is mostly attributed to public investment and, less
significantly, private consumption. (The World Bank, 2016)

4.2 Policies and Growth Plans

The Ethiopian government is currently following the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) – a
five-year, development-focused initiative aimed to achieve between 11 and 15 percent GDP
growth. The nation is also working towards fulfilling Millennium Development Goals and hopes
to earn a middle-class income ranking by 2025. To reach these goals, the government has and
continues to invest significant resources into large-scale energy, social, and infrastructural
projects. (U.S. Department of State, 2015)

4.3 Private Sector and Entrepreneurship

The aforementioned policies and growth plans are positive indicators for private sector future
developments and entrepreneurship. Importantly, most of the capital is directly towards the public
sector. This could both limit the amount of capital available to the private sector and provide
excellent investment opportunities for the private sector (U.S. Department of State, 2015). The
next few years will reveal whether or not the public sector investment will be more beneficial or
harmful to private sector investment and development of entrepreneurship in the long run (U.S.
Department of State, 2015).

There are several key advantages and disadvantages to foreign investment into Ethiopia’s private
sector. First, energy and labor costs are extremely low, which is advantageous for innovation and
entrepreneurship. Also, land is very cheap and fairly easy to obtain. Again, this is a draw for many
new businesses and start-ups (U.S. Department of State, 2015) However, there are also several
disadvantages that present challenges to entrepreneurship. First, there are foreign exchange
shortages. Second, there is limited access to financing options. Moreover, input and output lead-
time is long due to the underdeveloped nature of logistic infrastructure and high land-transportation
costs, as well as significant bureaucratic delays. Moreover, there are several sectors closed to
foreign investments. These include banking, retail, insurance services, accounting services,
transportation, and telecommunications. (U.S. Department of State, 2015)

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4.4 Doing Business in Ethiopia

According to the 2016 World Bank Group Doing Business report, it is incredibly difficult for the
private sector and entrepreneurs to conduct business in Ethiopia due to a myriad of reasons. In
2015, Ethiopia ranked 148 out of 189 nations regarding ease of conducting business within the
nation (World Bank Group, 2016). Regarding the ease of starting a new business, Ethiopia ranked
176 out of 189 studied nations. In general, the following is breakdown of just some of the many
obstacles new businesses face when operating in Ethiopia (World Bank Group, 2016):

 Ethiopia requires new businesses to complete 11 different procedures, compared to Sub-

Saharan Africa’s average of 8 procedures and OECD’s (Organization for Economic Co-
operation and Development) high income average of 4.7 procedures;

 Ethiopia’s average new business cost (which is recorded as a percentage of the economy’s
income per capita) is 76.1%, compared to Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 26.8% and
OECD’s high income average of 8.3%; and

 Ethiopia’s paid-in minimum capital (i.e. the amount that the entrepreneur needs to deposit
into a financial institute before registration and recorded as a percentage of the economy’s
income per capita) is 138.9%, compared to Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 26.8 % and
OECD’s high income average of 9.6%.,

Moreover, it is incredibly arduous for private businesses to obtain funding in Ethiopia. The 2016
World Bank Group report ranks Ethiopia as 167 out of 189 nations concerning ease of obtaining
funding. The following is an overview of just how difficult financing is to obtain in Ethiopia
(World Bank Group, 2016):

 On a scale of 0-12, Ethiopia’s strength of legal rights (an index designed to measure the
degree to which laws protect the rights of both borrowers and lenders and thus promote/
facilitate lending) ranked 3.0, compared to compared to Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of
4.9 and OECD’s high income average of 6.0;

 On a scale of 0-8, Ethiopia’s credit information index ranked 0.0, compared to Sub-Saharan
Africa’s average of 2.3 and OECD’s high income average of 6.5;

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  Ethiopia’s percentage of adults on their credit registry coverage (an indicator that reports
the number of individuals and firms listed in a public credit registry) is 0.2%, compared to
Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 5.8% and OECD’s high income average of 11.9%; and

 Ethiopia’s percentage of adults with credit bureau coverage is 0.0%, compared to Sub-
Saharan Africa’s average of 7.1% and OECD’s high income average of 66.7%.

Yet another obstacle for doing business in Ethiopia is electricity problems, shortages, and
limits. Ethiopia ranked number 127 out of 189 on its ability to provide reliable electricity to
its people and businesses. The following are highlights of the nation’s energy status (World
Bank Group, 2016):

 The average number of days to obtain electricity in Ethiopia is 95; this is lower than the
Sub-Saharan African average of 130.1 days, but significantly higher that the OECD’s high
income average of 77.7 days; and

 On a scale of 0-8, Ethiopia’s reliability of supply and tariff transparency index scores 0.0,
compared to Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 0.9 and OECD’s high income average of 7.2.

It is incredibly difficult for businesses in Ethiopia to trade with other nations. The 2016 World
Bank Group report ranks Ethiopia as 165 out of 189 nations regarding the overall ease of trading
across borders. The following is a breakdown of the obstacles involved in trading across borders
(World Bank Group, 2016):

 Ethiopia’s border compliance time to export is 57 hours, which is lower than Sub-Saharan
Africa’s average of 108 hours but significantly higher than OECD’s high income average
of 15 hours;

 Ethiopia’s documentary compliance time to export is 126 hours, compared to Sub-Saharan

Africa’s average of 97 hours and OECD’s high income average of a mere 5 hours;

 Ethiopia’s border compliance time to import is 203 hours, compared to Sub-Saharan

Africa’s average of 106 hours and OECD’s high income average of a mere 9 hours;

 Ethiopia’s border compliance cost to import export is $668 USD, compared to Sub-Saharan
Africa’s average of $643 USD and OECD’s high income average of around $123 USD;

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  Ethiopia’s documentary compliance time to import is 209 hours, compared to Sub-Saharan
Africa’s average of 123 hours and OECD’s high income average of a mere 4 hours; and

 Ethiopia’s documentary compliance cost to import is $750 USD, compared to Sub-Saharan

Africa’s average of $351 USD and OECD’s high income average of around $25 USD.

4.5 Ethiopian Innovation Policy

As mentioned in the introduction, many international organizations and the NSI theory essentially
indicate that in order to have an environment conducive for innovation and entrepreneurship, the
nation state must form and create an appropriate policy framework to support this. Thus, in 2012,
Ethiopia published its ambitious Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STI Policy) which
readily recognizes the need to build the nation’s technology capabilities and infrastructure to
encourage innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. This policy aims to transfer
Ethiopia’s economy to one that is driven by exports rather than imports. Its overarching goals
include: building and augmenting infrastructure related to STI, promoting grow and increasing
capacity of universities, increasing foreign direct investments (FDI), and creating a national
framework conducive to innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.

The mission of Ethiopia’s Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy is to “To create a
technology transfer framework that enables the building of national capabilities in technological
learning, adaptation and utilization through searching, selecting and importing effective foreign
technologies in manufacturing and service providing enterprises” (The Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia, 2012: 3) To fulfill its mission, the STI policy outlines several objectives:

 To establish and implement a framework for building STI capacity;

 To establish and implement an Ethiopian Technology Capability Accumulation and
Transfer (TeCAT) system;
 To promote technology adaptation and learning research;
 To develop and commercialize indigenous technologies and knowledge;
 To help define the national science and technology landscape and improve links between
different stakeholders and actors in the national system of innovation;

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  To ensure easy implementation of STI activities alongside other economic and social
development plans and projects; and
 To create an appropriate environment to strengthen the role of the private sector in activities
pertinent to technology transfer.

Ethiopia’s National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy and Strategy’s
mission statement is “to develop, deploy and use information and communication technology to
improve the livelihood of every Ethiopian, and optimize its contribution to the development of the
country” (The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 2009:3) To achieve its overarching
mission, the policy has outlined several overarching objectives, which are as follows:

To build accessible ICT infrastructure throughout the nation;

To create knowledgeable and highly-skilled human resources capable of developing and

implementing ICT;

To develop the necessary legal framework for ICT application and to design and implement
security systems to protect against unlawful practices and uses;

To promote ICT for modernizing the public and civil service sectors and to enhance its effeteness
and efficiency for service delivery; and

To expand the role of the private sector and to ensure the rapid development and employment of
ICT.

4.6 Budget for Research and Development

Including policy also one of the key components or indicators for fostering innovation and building
a knowledge-lead economy is having and maintaining strong institutions of higher education.
These institutions are key in producing talent and also producing research and development (R&D)
with links to the private sector. The following section will provide a short introduction to the
current context of R&D in Ethiopia.

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According to the World Bank (2013), Ethiopia’s national budged for research and development is
around $790 million dollars, or 0.61% of its GDP or $9.08 per citizen. According to the World
Bank (2013), Ethiopia spends about the same amount of money on research and development as
nations such as Indonesia, Serbia, Croatia, and Kuwait.

Moreover, currently, Ethiopia is home to some thirty-two public and two private universities.
Studies indicate that, while private colleges and public universities continue to grow in number,
they are not focusing much on research and development. Instead, they are still largely concerned
with training and education initiatives. Importantly, the current policy holds that universities are
at liberty to choose which areas of research they want to focus on, provided it is in accordance
with the nation’s overarching development priorities, and is compatible with their comparative
competency and academic advantages. As a result, many universities have developed laboratories
sufficiently equipped with both basic and advanced levels of scientific equipment and tools.
Mostly, these instruments serve a dual purpose and are utilized for both research and teaching
purposes. Therefore, they are typically not specialized to individual research needs and projects.

Most of the limited funding awarded to research and development is allocated to animal and
agricultural productivity, soil and water assessment and management techniques, infectious
disease cures and prevention, global warming/ climate change concerns, and alternative/ renewable
sources of energy, geological studies, and even culture and linguistic research. Each of the public
universities have identified very specific thematic research areas that complement their capabilities
and competitive advantages.

Recently, the Ethiopian government’s Higher Education Proclamation stipulated that more focus
should be placed on knowledge and technology research, development, and transfer. The Higher
Education Proclamation also stipulates that:

Undertaking and encouraging relevant studies, research and community service in national and
local priority areas and disseminating the findings as well as undertaking, as may be necessary,
joint academic and research projects with national and foreign institutions or research centers, are
responsibilities of higher education institutions (Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, 2014: 7)

The goal is, by 2016, to have 70 percent of the current research and development budget allocated
to technology, medicine, engineering, and natural sciences. Moreover, per this mandate “Graduate
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level students are specifically required to be research-oriented and problem-solving professionals
in their respective fields” (Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, 2014, p. 7). Based on these mandates
and changes, it is appropriate to conclude that Ethiopia’s higher education system, strategies,
focuses, and policies are compatible with promoting the development of highly skilled and trained
individuals capable to helping the nation transition into an innovation and technology-driven
economy. (Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, 2014, p. 7)

4.7 Access to Technology

Another key component to innovation is internet and access to technology. Albeit the STI policy
Ethiopia’s internet access is still quite dismal with a penetration rate of around 3.7%
(Internetworldstats.com, 2016); however, there are currently plans underway to strengthen internet
penetration and expand the current infrastructure to serve people throughout the nation. However,
these efforts have been thwarted by several, overarching factors. First, the geographical makeup
of Ethiopia makes it incredibly difficult to offer internet service to rural areas. Moreover,
telecommunications is one area where privatization is prohibited. Therefore, the government-
owned EthioTelecom is the only internet provider in the whole nation. (Ethiotelecom.et, 2016) In
urban areas, cafes serve as the primarily source of internet connection. Most all of the internet
cafes are located in Addis Ababa. Even within the nation’s capital, internet access is slow,
unreliable, and highly censored. One study indicated that, on average, internet is only accessible
20 to 25 percent of the time in Addis Ababa cafes (Kindle, 2012).

Importantly, in 2005, the government announced a new plan to connect all of the nation’s public
buildings, to include schools, government offices, and schools, and even some rural outposts, to
the internet via either a fiber optic cable system or a satellite system. The government invested
some $40 billion into two networks – SchoolNET and WordedaNET. Currently, there is satellite
internet service available to some larger corporations, but citizens are forbidden from purchasing
private connections. (IST-Africa, 2016)

Ethiopia has seen significant increases in the number of internet users. For instance, in 2014, only
about 1.9% of the civilian population had internet access; however, by 2015, this number was
estimated to be closer to 3.7%. (Internetworldstats.com, 2016)

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4.8 Ethiopian Institutions Working in ICT and Innovation

4.8.1 ICT-ET

Outside of government-lead efforts there are few independent institutions also working to develop
and foster innovation. One of them is the Information & Communication Technology Association-
Ethiopia (ICT-ET) and that was established in 2010 to promote research and development in ICT
and facilitate collaboration and networking between ICT companies and cooperation with the
public sector. ICT-ET describes the association’s goal as to expose, engage and enable the private
ICT sector in Ethiopia to grow.

One of the reasons it was established was due to the fact of significant lack of coordination in the
engagement between the private and public sectors. According to the interviewee the ICT-sector
in Ethiopia is a fast changing environment. Thus most actors and companies in Ethiopia and even
globally are isolated in their work and lack linkages to other companies and the public sector. ICT-
ET aims to bridge this gap in Ethiopia and act as committed facilitator. ICT-ETs members are
companies that pay membership fees but individuals can join for free as associate members. Most
of the services provided e.g. are available to everyone but members get priority.

It was formally registered as non-profit organization in November 2010 and its main collaborators
were the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Ethiopia and Google. They
have quarterly meetings with the ministry and attempt to increase private-public cooperation.
Furthermore, ICT-ET offers consultation to private companies and international entities interested
in investing in Ethiopia.

Outside of their work and they also attempt to promote and produce ICT related events in Ethiopia.
An international conference on ICT was held in 2013, an attempt to draw international attention
and bridge local entrepreneurs and businesses globally. They have successfully brought in
international companies to Ethiopia in order to create collaboration between the Ethiopian actors
in the ICT sector.

ICT-ET also wants to engage Ethiopian ICT-talent outside of Ethiopia. They organize mentorship
programs with the ICT-professionals in the diaspora and match skill sets of Ethiopian individuals
and with Ethiopian ICT companies. In order to engage the diaspora they organize video
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conferences and diaspora specific events. They also host an online platform for jobs and
matchmaking but admit that most of this type activities still occurs offline. ICT-ET work mainly
with established ICT companies and albeit linking it upcoming entrepreneurs and businesses
through events and close collaboration with iceAddis.

4.8.2 ICT Center of Excellence

Its governmental subsidiary, ICT Center of Excellence (CoE) serves as a vehicle for rapid ICT
development and to serve as a catalyst to promote ICT as a major enabler and accelerator of socio-
economic growth and development. Its main aim is “to utilize innovation based on high quality
research and development, training, consulting, and technology transfer, to drive rapid advances
of ICT, and its deployment for breakthrough results in national development.” To accomplish this
goal, ICT focuses on coordinating and conducting ICT-related research that uses and adapts
already existing and new innovation technologies for socio-economic growth; carries out market-
oriented education seminars and trainings for ICT professionals; disseminates ICT tools, practices,
and technologies; and provides consultancy services to ICT organizations and professionals. (ICT
Center of Excellence, 2016)

4.8.3 iceAddis

Another key institution, iceAddis is a business or innovation incubator located in Addis Ababa in
Addis Ababa University’s Building College at Lideta Campus. Ice stands for innovation,
collaboration and entrepreneurship. “The aim of iceAddis is to establish a national network of
collaboration and a home of Ethiopian made innovations” (iceaddis, 2014) Moreover, iceAddis
defines itself as “university-based innovation hub, incubator and co-working space for
communities”. (iceaddis, 2014) Their main target group are students from Addis Ababa University.
iceAddis is primarily funded through projects with large parts coming from GIZ (Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). GIZ is an international enterprise owned by the
German Federal Government. Most of the projects undertaken are commissioned by the German
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. In 2013 they also received funding
from Google. The overall iceAddis project is meant to foster and grow innovative entrepreneurship
in Ethiopia and enable a local network of innovators. Many of the interviewees were also members
of iceAddis.
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iceAddis offers a three tier membership scheme for their members. There are around 500 white
members and they mainly function online, as a digital community. Anybody can join and they
have members from all over the world. Facebook and the iceAddis website newsletter are used to
connect and engage the community.

The green membership requires an application and they usually accept five teams per semester.
The green membership is aimed at students with an idea for a product or business. As of April
2013, there were approximately thirty-five green members in five teams. Out of the thirty-five
members, over twenty were women. The green members have to fill in application form, which
made up from a business canvas model. The requirements are that the product or business has to
be innovative and marketable. The green members are in what is called the incubation phase, where
they receive consulting, coaching, more help with their business plan and facilities to develop their
product, such as prototype facilities, 3D printers and so on. The fee is 800 ETB per semester;
however, as the target group is students, most teams receive scholarships to cover the fees as the
amount is steep to the target group.

The red membership is called the acceleration phase. The business is already in operation and has
an exit strategy. After the exit, teams are required to pay 2 per cent of their profits to iceAddis. In
April 2013 there was one red member.

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Findings

This chapter presents the findings that were gathered through interviews and observations during
the field study. The findings from the interviews were divided onto three themes or core issues that
were significant from the data. The first theme is innovation capacity meaning how entrepreneurs
see their capability to innovate, especially linked to capacity building. The second section is the
views on the overall environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, including the business
climate. Finally the last section is concerned with more specific issues on resources to innovate
such as access to finance and technology.

5.1 Innovation Capacity

5.1.1 Capacity Building Innovation through Universities

Most of the interviewees that were entrepreneurs were members of iceAddis (See Appendix C for
a full list). The members were also students at the University of Addis Ababa. The entrepreneurs
were mainly developing technological products and businesses in the ICT-sector. Therefore their
studies were not complementing their entrepreneurial ambitions or product development.

Albeit iceAddis collaborated with the university, the interviewees described many problems or
shortcomings in the system of higher education in Ethiopia. The problems were also evident in
relation to innovation and entrepreneurship.

The first issue that many entrepreneurs lamented was the lack of choice in the subjects that students
are allocated to study. Two interviewees pointed that graduating High School students are often
given choices between Natural and Social Sciences and then allocated study places in different
universities across the country according to their results and a draw;

When we graduate high school it is a matter of luck of which university or subject you get in. Many
students for example do not want to study medicine as it means you will have to work for the
government for a long time after you graduate. It means we don’t get to decide what we do with
our lives and it makes studying sometimes hard. [4]

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This according to the entrepreneurs was outdated and lead to many students studying subjects that
had little interest to them. Another independent interviewee outside of iceAddis working freelance
as a developer and as a graphic designer, explained that his degree in fact was in Plant Sciences.
He said that his degree was assigned to him and rarely uses it in his current field.

Moreover, the studies in the universities are mainly lecture and exam based with little room for
creativity and inventiveness. The two entrepreneurs that were actually studying computer science
also emphasized the lack of resources and technology in their universities. For example the
computer classes are not equipped well nor is there Wi-Fi readily available in Addis Ababa
University. Power cuts also occur often and are major challenge to the university and learning as
a whole. Moreover, the interviewees described their degree as more focused on theory rather than
application. One interviewee that was studying Computer Engineering admitted he gained more
knowledge on software development and coding online rather than through his studies.

I always try to go to internet cafes and download tutorials, I use YouTube a lot also. The university
is more focused on theory rather than us trying to create new applications or software. [11]

Furthermore, getting the right knowledge on entrepreneurship is what the interviewees articulated
the most difficulty in. The education in the universities on how to operate a business is minimal
and often is limited to one very short course. Information of the formalities of behind starting
business is not covered at any stage of the university studies. Moreover, there is little emphasis on
the employment prospective and further studies. Generally speaking the interviewee’s did not see
the higher education institutions producing innovators and entrepreneurs. The emphasis was to
produce college educated youth rather than conceptualizing new products or services through
research and development.

The interviewees did not identify any clear linkages between their own activities and the
university. Interviewees’ direct relationship was more amongst the local entrepreneurial network
rather than the services provided by the university. However, recently universities in Addis Ababa
have been beginning to incorporate innovative activities in cooperation with other institutions,
such as iceAddis.

We don’t learn anything about entrepreneurship in our university maybe if you are studying
business but generally there is no information available that comes from our studies. [7]
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5.1.2 Capacity Building through Development Projects

The interviewees noted that there is several national and global initiatives aimed to empower the
growth of innovation in Ethiopia. Partnerships and networks were described by the interviewees
to be initiated by international organizations and through global and regional programs such
innovation competitions and programs;

We try to compete in different competitions related to innovation and new ideas.. For example, I
was the Google Ambassador in my campus. [9]

Private sector competitions are mostly managed by large multinational corporations, wishing to
engage with local entrepreneurs and individual actors such as Google with collaboration with
iceAddis. Some of the interviewees had either joined or in-directly been involved with an initiative
organized by a private sector actor. Secondly, networks were identified and described by the
interviewees as long-term programs dedicated to increase readiness and capacity building, through
changing the perceptions, and tackling the barriers for accessing and using ICT.

Majority of these initiatives are targeted to students, entrepreneurs and individual actors engaged
in the local ICT community. iceAddis is one example where resources for capacity building is
enacted through focused trainings and workshops to increase knowledge, technical skills, and
responding to the needs of the labor market and stimulate innovation. However, two entrepreneurs
that did not belong to these institutions or programs faced barriers in terms of access to
information, supporting mechanisms and international collaborations.

Strengthening capacity through institutions such as iceAddis resonated through provisioning

technical support, promoting equitable access to emerging regions and amplifying the quality and
access to teaching and learning materials, especially those online and easily accessible. The
interviewees noted that these institutions are playing key role in enabling and strengthening
partnerships and collaboration with the private sector and global actors.

However, the interviewees noted that some disregards in the projects and competitions in
innovation. Specifically in terms of ownership, as often projects and competitions are short-cycled
and lack continuation.

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That was affecting negatively in the adaptation, resource allocation and monitoring the outcomes
of these, oftentimes ambiguous objectives. For successful implementation of capacity building of
innovation in Ethiopia, the interviewees noted that there is a need for more comprehensive, end-
results orientated, and decentralized programs and networks which would be targeted and
accessible for all.

5.1.3 Collaboration between Capacity Building Institutions

One of the events observed for this field study was organized in collaboration with Ted x Addis
and iceAddis. A TED lecture was screened in the iceAddis premises and it was attended by
entrepreneurs and other creative and innovative actors in Addis Ababa. The screening however
was inflicted by a power cut.

The data from the interviews suggests that most collaborative events and interactions in the
innovation scene are often organized through smaller groups of entrepreneurs, rather than in
collaboration with larger institutions.

The innovation scene is very small in Addis but we all know each other and attend the same events,
especially Ice has become our community. [6]

The concept of networking as a way to improve one’s future business is something that is fairly
new method for the interviewees that were members of iceAddis, but they all foresaw the that
networking with the right individuals and businesses was key in their marketing, developing and
eventually selling their products.

For the individuals that operated independently recognized it as an essential part of their business.
Their projects came as a directly from their networking activities. The two independent
entrepreneurs of the sample were creative and innovative consultants and designers per say,
working on a freelance basis and their product was their innovative self. One was a designer, who
offered companies innovative marketing and branding services with a high concentration on
innovative graphic design. He had worked with several large private companies and institutions
gaining recommendations to further projects.

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iceAddis itself understood the value of networking as an important factor in starting a business and
acted as a space for networking and scouted suitable partners and mentors for their members. One
of the roles they took was the role of the connector for their members.

The data from the interviews suggest that entrepreneurs rarely used networking to identify
opportunities in their business ideas and innovation. Rather this process had to be completed before
membership to these networks or institutions. Interviewees, more specifically members of
iceAddis felt that they received assistance in developing their idea and possible product but the
actual idea had to be original. Also membership to both these networks require association with
innovation or ICT.

5.2 Innovation Environment

The interviewees perceived the overall environment for innovation and entrepreneurship to be
challenging to say the least. The major challenges as indicated by the interviews is the firstly the
market.

Most of the entrepreneurs interviewed for this thesis were working around technological ideas.
Their products ranged from mobile applications, animations, and in some cases computer software.
The innovations that were centered on ICT (information, communication and technology) were
not necessarily new technological innovations, but rather used technology to innovate products
that were new and purposeful in Ethiopia. However, many Ethiopians do not have access to
internet or technology in general. Thus it is not easy for entrepreneurs operate, digitalize or sell
the products they were developing. Moreover, the interviewees pointed out a lack of appreciation
for Ethiopian products or services among their prospective customers and the society at large.
Technological products and manufactured items are often imported to Ethiopia so there is lack of
experience and trust towards Ethiopian products and services;

In our culture there is no appreciation for anything Ethiopian. Everyone wants to import
everything and it is very difficult to sell our products. Also it is hard to introduce new things to
customers even things that might make their life or business easier. People resist change a lot
here.

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Most ICT companies currently do networking and websites and even this has not penetrated well
due the weak online infrastructure. ICT companies nor the private sector in general rarely attempt
to research and develop new products.

The ICT sector is still quite small and there really isn’t any new discoveries being made. This is
good and bad. In a way the market is free for new ideas but getting people interested is difficult.
[11]

5.2.1 Business Restrictions

Another challenge was the lack of protection of intellectual rights and patents. This meant that
individuals innovating new services and products did not have any protection for their ideas. The
laws were in place, but there is lack of coordination and information surrounding the law and its
use. Some entrepreneurs saw this hindering knowledge exchange in their community as new ideas
services could be easily copied by another innovator with more resources.

The interviewees also perceived that the interest in supporting innovative entrepreneurship was
low from the governmental level. Besides creating policies the actual mechanisms that enable a
conducive environment for innovation were non-existing. Starting a business is incredibly
bureaucratic and arduous. Interviewee’s explained that corruption and nepotism in governmental
organizations was present. The distrust towards civil servants was also high. This meant that most
entrepreneurs worked informally at least in the beginning.

Starting a business means you collect stamps. You go to many offices and ministries and gather
papers and stamps. It is not modern. We are still very behind. There is so many things that can be
made electronic and developed to make it easier. [6]

5.2.2 STI Policy

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation as mentioned in the chapter 4 before has
launched an ambitious STI policy which aims to create and facilitate a national system of
innovation in Ethiopia. However, none of the interviewees knew of the policy nor its plans and
purpose. Furthermore, only two interviewees had a positive outlook on the government in relation
to their own situation and businesses. The relationship that the entrepreneurs had with the

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government often was to a large part non-existent. Most expressed disappointment and also
frustration as to the lack of support and lack improvement on internet access and information. The
frustration towards the sole internet provider Ethio Telecom was also palpable. Power cuts and
connectivity problems were daily hindrances that most were used to. During the field study, Wi-
Fi was not available on campus and iceAddis did not have electricity. This lack of basic
infrastructure overwhelmed any other requirements of policy. Most said it would take years before
the infrastructure could be enhanced and the innovation policy can have real effect.

5.3 Innovation Resources

5.3.1 Access to technology

Most individuals saw that the access to technology to be biggest constraint to their businesses.
Most notably the access to internet and appropriate technology was seen as the largest problem.
One of the biggest constraints on innovative entrepreneurship that was expressed was internet
access and its sole operator Ethio Telecom. The frustrations were severe and many felt as the
government did not fully comprehend the opportunities that innovations and technology could
bring to Ethiopia. A lot of the interviewees saw the lack of slow internet connection compared to
other African countries and some restricted websites as a mean to control political dissent.
Opportunities in Ethiopian innovative technology were felt as unimportant to the Ethiopian
government. In Ethiopia internet and all telecommunications are provided through the state-run
Ethio Telecom. Ethio Telecom has complete monopoly an all telecommunications. It is the sole
provider of internet, mobiles and subscriptions. Many interviewees lamented that often simply
gaining access to a reliable Wi-Fi connection was impossible. All interviewees regarded this as a
significant lack of resources that hindered their entrepreneurial activities.

All interviewees felt that access to internet was mainly due to the lack of skills, knowledge
resources and some even said unwillingness of the public sector to modernize the
telecommunication services;

The government does not want people to have good internet. They fear it might lead to people to
engage in politics and make a revolution. [3]

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Ethio-Telecom is owned by the state and they make good money. They don’t want competition as
it might affect their profits. [6]

The interviewees noted that privatizing state-owned companies, such as the telecommunication
sector would benefit largely on enabling more resources for a wider pool of innovations. The
interviewees felt that these ineffective and unreasonable telecommunication policies, had a
significant consequence for the development and growth of ICT sector in Ethiopia. Furthermore,
the interviewees point out that access to mobile phone services were prohibitively expensive as
the subscriptions are significant financial obstacle for the majority of the population.

According to the interviewees, access to resources was not equally available for all. It was pointed
out that access to information in particular was though radio as the principal source of information.
For individual creative entrepreneurs’ major obstacles relied on the overly regulative policies that
narrowed their possibilities to import machinery, such as computers, attributable to high import
tariffs, which inevitably holds down the ability to innovate.

5.3.2 Access to Finance

The interviewees also expressed a weakness was the lack of financial capital. The members of
iceAddis and ICT-ET expressed that their members often have to find creative ways to gain
resources and iceAddis aims to mentor their members on how to gain access to investor, public
funding or through customers. None of the entrepreneurs’ interviewed had funding except for
stipends covering their fees for iceAddis. iceAddis indicated efforts to collaborate with venture
capitalists and international organizations but access to capital is often difficult, bureaucratic and
the competition high. The interviewees were trying to overcome this through developing business
models that require less capital. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, however
are promising vast tax exceptions and other fiscal policy measures to attract private sector
investments, both domestic and foreign, for the production and provisioning ICT products and
services. According to the interviewees the aim of the government measures is secure foreign
capital and enhance the adaptation and development of new technologies.

We mostly deal with animation and we try advertise it in our networks. It doesn’t really need that
much capital. [4]

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The interviewees felt that transparency in terms of access to finance and information on the
possibilities and cannels offered at governmental nor through private sector was absent.
Entrepreneurs and creative individuals did not have the knowledge nor comprehensive information
to seek finance for their new products or services. Furthermore, the interviewees felt that the
collateral required for loans, service fees and the capacity of individuals to assess the risks were
inefficient. In addition, many entrepreneurs described as one of the challenge, the short term loans,
forcing them to make business plans that are short sited and short term by nature. The interviewees
pointed out that institutions such as iceAddis, reduces financial barriers for creative entrepreneurs
have through providing, premises, access to internet and training;

Being in Ice is good way of getting know people and meet people from different countries as there
are many trainings and people visiting that might be interested in investing in our businesses. [3]

5.4 Summary of Findings

5.4.1 Restrictions and Weaknesses

One of the biggest constraints on innovative entrepreneurship that was expressed was internet
access and its sole operator Ethio Telecom. The frustrations were severe and many felt as the
government did not fully comprehend the opportunities that innovations and technology could
bring to Ethiopia. A lot of the interviewees saw the lack of slow internet connection compared to
other African countries and some restricted websites as a mean to control political dissent.
Opportunities in Ethiopian innovative technology were felt as unimportant to the Ethiopian
government. The interviewees also expressed a weakness in the complicated system of starting a
business.

5.4.2 Strengths and Opportunities

Most interviewees were incredibly hopeful of the future of innovation in Ethiopia. Many voiced
that improvements in the telecommunication and banking was inevitable for the overall
development of Ethiopia. Once the infrastructure and the basic requirements to be able to innovate
such as easier access to credit and faster internet connections are available, ideas should flourish
and entrepreneurship should grow. The interviewee’s generally saw that Ethiopia had large

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capacities for innovation. The population is young and increasingly in the cities functioning and
more connected to the global trends and technologies. All of the interviewees saw huge potential
for their products and technological growth in Ethiopia. Especially as the market was so new that
there is little completion and wide array of potential products.

The different institutions that were examined were seen useful individually but as a system it was
not productive nor conducive. The market or selling their innovations was not simple nor easy.

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 Analysis

This chapter analyzes the data gathered in the findings using the NSI theory as a point departure
of how innovation occurs and is best promoted. Thus the NSI theory becomes the focal point of
analysis of understanding what the ideal situation could be and thus becomes a point comparison
in the analysis of the findings.

6.1 National System of Innovation

The theoretical framework used to analyse the perceptions and opinions of the entrepreneurs is the
theory of National Systems of Innovation. The NSI theory essentially argues that any nation’s
economic growth is directly linked to the nation’s ability to adapt and produce innovation. This
adaptation and production of innovation is understood to occur through systems of national
institutions. Innovation is then a result from interactions between these different institutions. These
institutions are universities, private companies and entrepreneurs, intermediary organizations and
the nation state itself. The nation state however, has a different role in NSI. The nation is the overall
enabler and facilitator for the overall system by enabling linkages to occur and strengthening these
different institutions.

Moreover, the different institutions have distinct roles that interlink and are interdependent. The
OECD has made an attempt to distinguish the roles of each institutions that can be divided in five
main categories. The first is the government, which is responsible of making policy directions,
regulations and laws. The second are the intermediaries or bridging institutions such as research
institutions, incubators, and organizations. Their role is to act as the performers between the
governments and the performers of innovation. The third institution defined by the OECD is
private enterprises and their subsidiary research institutions. The fourth institutions are financial
institutions that provide financial support to innovation and finally the fifth are universities and
educational institutions. (Mohratami et al, 2013: 1385)

This NSI concept has been largely adapted and accepted as the theory that guides most innovation
or STI policies globally. Moreover it has been adapted by the World Bank and OECD with their

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policy recommendations to developing economies in regards to innovation and creating knowledge
based economies.

This thesis examined the perceptions of the entrepreneurs of the STI policy and overall national
system of innovation of Ethiopia. The following sections will examine the current state of
Ethiopia’s NSI and the STI policy and the perceptions and reasons behind these perceptions.

6.1.1 Government and Policy

In the NSI theory the function of public entities and the government is to direct and regulate the
overall system of innovation. The public institutions are also part of knowledge creation and
innovation as well human resources development and training. Furthermore the nation is supposed
to function as facilitator of market generation and infrastructure. (Mohratami et al, 2013: 1389)

Ethiopia has adopted the NSI concept and has set out to facilitate a national system of innovation.
Specifically, the STI policy essentially mirrors the basic concepts of the NSI theory. It recognizes
and aims to build a stronger system of innovation in Ethiopia that can develop and grow the
economy. Furthermore, the role of that the nation must take as the facilitator is also recognized.
The data from the findings however, suggests that this endeavor to facilitate innovation has largely
failed in the perception of the interviewees.

The STI policy was published in 2012, however during the field study in 2013, the researcher nor
were the interviewees aware of the existence of any policy in regard to innovation. One of the
questions asked during the interviews was to assess the need for such policy. Overwhelmingly the
entrepreneurs voiced that the lack of policy was not was hindering their innovative environment
rather it was the overall impediments in resources that were most affecting their ability to innovate.

However, the lack of knowledge of the existence of the policy pertains many meanings. Firstly the
policy had not been made clear to the primary stakeholders. The three stakeholder interviewees
did not also know of the policy. This shows an important lack of collaboration between the
different institutions that are operating in the same arena of empowering innovation. Furthermore,
this indicates low exchange of knowledge and learning in the NSI of Ethiopia. Lundvall as
mentioned before defined innovation as result of interactive learning where different actors also
contribute to knowledge regulation and influence policy. This is not the case in Ethiopia, where

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the policy was seemingly developed solely by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).
The findings also indicate that the some of primary stakeholders were not included or reviewed
during the policymaking process nor in defining the overall strategy of Ethiopia. This can possibly
cause hindrance to collective effort of increasing innovation in the nation by these different actors.
However it is important to note the STI policy does endeavor and one of the goals is to integrate
and enable cooperation among various stakeholders.

Furthermore, Ethiopia’s STI policy does not specify entrepreneurs as a target nor mentions it in
the policy. This lack of mention of entrepreneurs explicitly underlines the data from the findings
that correlated a general feeling that the entrepreneurs felt that the government was not interested
in specifically empowering innovative entrepreneurs.

6.1.2 Public Institutions and Higher Education

These failings are evident as the findings and background investigation indicate that as public
institutions of higher education have not been successful to bring forth new innovations nor build
up research in regard to ICT. Furthermore, Ethiopia has not been able facilitate in human
development in accord to the needs of the entrepreneurs. Aubert (2005) argues that this is due to
innovation systems being fragmented and poorly constructed in developing economies. There is a
limited research community, the data only indicated the ICT Center of Excellence (CoE) as the
sole public institution doing R&D in Ethiopia in relation to ICT and innovation. (Aubert, 2005:
10) However, this also might relate to the small sample as there might have been other entities that
could have been missed.

The establishment of this of ICT CoE in 2013 was not perceived to facilitate innovate
entrepreneurship. None of the entrepreneurs mentioned this institution in regard to their business
development and networks. This again attains to the fragmented nature of public institutions in
NSI of Ethiopia. Many public efforts are not communicated in the micro level.

The data from the findings also indicated low interaction between public institutions and
entrepreneurs. The only interaction observed from the data was competitions provided through the
ICT center of Excellence. This however was not seen as strong indicator for public facilitation of
innovation. This again might relate to the fact that although fostering innovation and facilitating

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an NSI does not happen in a year but requires a collaborative effort taking in consideration the
needs of potential innovators i.e. entrepreneurs and the collaboration of other institutions.

6.1.3 Private Enterprises

The private sector also showed low levels of innovation. The findings from the field study also
demonstrate the lack of R&D and willingness to innovate in the private sector. However, research
shows that smaller entities SMEs and start-ups have a larger capacity to innovate than larger
enterprises, which is common in developing countries as they have more flexibility and room to
innovate. This according to the findings was not evident in Ethiopia. Entrepreneurs saw the private
sector as change-resistant and difficult to connect with.

The interactions between the private sector and the public sector however seemed to indicate some
degree of mutual collaboration and interaction. This is specifically through the role of ICT-ET.
However, the ICT-ET was not directly aiming to innovate. Their aim was rather to facilitate the
ICT sector and collaborate with public sector to enable the ICT sector grow. This again might not
be direct benefit to entrepreneurs that are not as established as to have membership or access to
direct interactions with ICT-ET. Thus again indicating poor system interactions and linkages in
relation to the needs of innovative entrepreneurship and the private sector at large. Again it is
important to note that these conclusions arise solely from the opinions of the interviewees and
might not

6.1.4 Intermediaries

Although the data demonstrates vast difficulties in relation to access to resources and capacity
building for innovative entrepreneurs. Other actors in Ethiopia seem to fare much better in
empowering innovative entrepreneurship. Institutions such as iceAddis and ICT-ET in NSI theory
are what Howells (2006) defined as innovation intermediaries. An innovation intermediary can be
an organization that acts a link between different in the innovation process. (Howells 2006: 720)
These intermediaries are also key actors in any nation’s NSI. In Ethiopia the perception of the role
of iceAddis and ICT-ET was largely positive. The data suggests that these intermediaries seem to
function well in supporting innovative entrepreneurs. These organizations were able to empower
entrepreneurs by offering them training, access to networks and capacity building. Additionally,

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these organizations understood that innovation does not occur without the exchange of knowledge
and interactions with other entities.

However, this positive outlook might relate to the fact that out of the eleven entrepreneurs
interviewed for this thesis, eight were members in these intermediary organizations. This might
indicate some bias as to describing institutions where they operate and innovate.

6.2 Technological Resources

The empirical data shows, the many problems indicated by the entrepreneurs relate to the lack of
basic services and access to technology. Only 3.7 per cent of Ethiopians have access to internet.
This is mainly due to the large portion of Ethiopians living in remote areas and in the countryside.
Government initiatives through policy formulation have improved infrastructure for the rural
population. Despite the massive investments in rural regions, majority of the population is still
lacking the access to internet across the country. It was evident that access to technology in its
explicit meaning, was mainly through the penetration of mobile phones. Due to the scarcity of the
internet outside urban areas, users in urban areas were strained to pay higher rates for accessing
internet. Concrete actions have been made to improve infrastructure in these areas, however,
initiatives were largely motivated to attract foreign investments in these underdeveloped regions.

This might relate to in large Ethiopia’s history. Ethiopia was a communist nation for over 20 years.
The current government took over in 1991 and established a new federal system with ethnically
divided states. It is also important to note that the major political party holds 100% of the seats in
the parliament. The communist past also means that many institutions and companies were run
and operated by the state. Some national companies have been privatized but major companies
that relate the resources for innovation such as Ethiopian Telecom are still owned by the state.
ETC has complete monopoly on internet and telecommunications. Many argue that a lack of
competition stagnated the development of telecommunication and for example internet access in
Ethiopia.

Moreover, Ethiopia is a landlocked country with no access to the main fiber optic cable, rather
internet is produced through satellites and the Information Network Security Agency of Ethiopia
(INSA) monitors all internet activities in Ethiopia. This somewhat relates to a larger context in the

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weak nature of Ethiopia as nation state. The need to monitor of information and internet relates to
the overall fragile political context of Ethiopia.

6.3 Financial Resources

The overall environment for pursuing business endeavors was good as the untouched market
presents a lot of opportunity. However, the lack of institutional resources and barriers for finance
opposes major challenges. Ethiopia ranks low in many indicators measuring the effectiveness and
attractiveness of conducting business. According to the World Bank Ethiopia requires new
businesses to complete 11 different procedures, compared to Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 8
procedures and OECD’s (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) high
income average of 4.7 procedures. Furthermore, Ethiopia’s average new business cost (which is
recorded as a percentage of the economy’s income per capita) is 76.1%, compared to Sub-Saharan
Africa’s average of 26.8% and OECD’s high income average of 8.3%; and Ethiopia’s paid-in
minimum capital (i.e. the amount that the entrepreneur needs to deposit into a financial institute
before registration and recorded as a percentage of the economy’s income per capita) is 138.9%,
compared to Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 26.8 % and OECD’s high income average of 9.6%.
(World Bank Group, 2016)

This again also indicates weak governing institutions and weak interactions between different
governmental bodies. Different ministries were not able coordinate in the collectively distinguish
the best manners to enable entrepreneurship and innovation to grow, rather the system is
complicated and the information surrounding these multiple procedures is not clearly known by
the interviewees.

Prominent reasons for the poor business climate is the lack of infrastructure in local governments
and also the underdeveloped banking and financial system, which narrows the flow of foreign
direct investments in the country and access to capital in Ethiopia.

In terms of the ICT sector, the absence and low penetration of digital payment systems is a barrier
for businesses as the dominant medium of exchange is cash. The financial sector is heavily
regulated and artificial barriers are in place for protecting foreign financial institutions to enter the
domestic market, narrowing down private sectors possibilities to access finance. Ethiopia’s

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banking sector needs modernization for it to satisfy the need of the private sector, and the society
as whole. Creative individuals’ and entrepreneurs have little opportunities for scaling their
businesses and raise capital in the initial phase. However, large and medium sized companies were
more prone in securing finance from traditional lenders, such as the government owned institution
Ethiopian Commercial Bank. It is important to note that investments in the ICT sector are mostly
private capital than through financial institutions or creditors. This disparity impacts willingness
to enter the market and to develop their business operations.

The poor infrastructure is one of the factors that affects negatively creative individuals and
entrepreneurs operating in Ethiopia. The inefficiency and the costs associated on using ICT
services, restricts to some extent the development of new innovations in the country.

6.4 Summary of Analysis

The data clearly indicates major challenges for innovating in Ethiopia. The interviewees feel a
disconnection towards the government to a degree. The environment for innovation and the overall
business climate is very bureaucratic. This is evident to the low levels of innovative activity in
Ethiopia. Another major challenge pointed out in the finding is access to technology, finance and
other resources. This is somewhat alleviated through intermediaries such as iceAddis and other
organizations. However, the lack of basic resources overrun any facilitation that the intermediaries
could offer.

The STI policy has a promising outlook as it does seem to have some degree of relevance in
relation to the building infrastructure and coordinating and improving research and development
and the private sector. During the field study this was not evident. However, things might have
developed during the past three years.

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Conclusion

This chapter presents the conclusions drawn from the findings and answers the research questions
and presents ideas on future research, possible solutions to problems identified.

The overall objective of this thesis was to examine the perceptions of innovative entrepreneurs had
on the conduciveness of the national system of innovation in Ethiopia. Furthermore, the thesis also
attempts to examine the relevance of the STI policy of Ethiopia to innovative entrepreneurs. In
relation to policy the data from the findings overwhelmingly indicates that there is a vast
discrepancy between policy and the needs of the entrepreneurs. Infrastructure and specifically
internet access was highlighted by the entrepreneurs as the most significant problem that impeded
the development of innovative products and businesses. The data gathered through fourteen
interviews in the field study largely showed surprisingly cohesive sentiments among the
entrepreneurs. Thus allowing the thesis to formulate the following conclusions on the current state
the NSI of Ethiopia. However, it is important to note that although this discrepancy between policy
and the views of the entrepreneurs exists, the sample was still too small to make large
generalizations.

Firstly, all of the interviewees agreed that the government was not doing enough to empower
entrepreneurship and innovation in Ethiopia. The policy itself although relevant to grow
technology and STI in Ethiopia did not focus on improving conditions for entrepreneurs explicitly.
The STI policy of Ethiopia is designed to facilitate the needs of the private sector and larger
companies as well as the overall national context. The effects on the individual entrepreneurs and
smaller firms were minimal and irrelevant. For example, the objective on developing the
telecommunications infrastructure and services have not advanced in the pace that allows
innovative entrepreneurs to develop their products in state of the art technology.

Moreover, the strategy of removing legal, regulatory impediments to the development of ICT has
not taken place. The policy itself might be too ambitious as the goals are vast but the resources
are scarce. The ecosystem for entrepreneurs to commercialize their products is non-existing. The
infrastructure for firms to interact in the marketplace and access information is also absent. In the
commercializing phase actors and entrepreneurs faced challenges in seeking potential market

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targets, competitors and networks for entering the market. The lack of internet based payment
systems also restricted the scalability of innovations and narrowed their operative environment.
The STI policy and resources aligned for its implementation needs a more holistic emphasis on
improving the operating environment, in terms of creating a platform that serves as the primary
marketplace and offers the necessary tools for actors, entrepreneurs and private sector to sell and
buy their products and services.

The interviewees in this study had the access to the basic technologies for cultivating their business
ideas. However, technological development and access to cutting-age technologies was not evident
in Ethiopia, thus influencing the type on innovations emerging. Many of the ICT innovations were
more or less, existing technologies transferred to the local context. It restricted the development
and reduced resources from actors and entrepreneurs to build local innovations.

Besides the government, the national innovation system in Ethiopia much like hypothesized by
Freeman and Lundvall includes a variety of actors or institution that all contribute in their own
manners to the strengthening of innovation Ethiopia. The institutions studied showed potential in
creating networks and links where knowledge and learning could be exchanged and diffused but
again this was not evident for the entrepreneurs. Often these institutions require formal
memberships and thus leave out many individuals that for example might not be students or based
in Addis Ababa. There are no clusters or larger network of innovators which makes it more difficult
to link to a system.

The knowledge exchange between these actors is not clear. Some intermediary organizations such
as iceAddis or ICT-ET are heavily influenced by the NSI theory and global trends of promoting
innovation. Their organization models follows international trends of business incubators in
developed countries and in Africa. The concept of incubators itself is heavily invested in systemic
notion of learning as Lundvall explained. That concept is not clearly adapted to Ethiopia again due
to lack of online infrastructure and markets.

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7.1 Future Research and Recommendations

Future qualitative research on innovative entrepreneurship should endeavor to have a larger pool
of interviewees in order to be able draw more triangulated conclusions and analysis. Also it might
relevant to interview representatives of the government that are forming policies and regulations.

This could enable more holistic understanding of the policy and its underlying goals that might
relate to entrepreneurship. Furthermore, it might increase understanding on the importance of
entrepreneurship to the government.

Sector specific analyses could also be useful as well as inclusion of quantitative data. Furthermore,
the role of the university can be examined more by including interviews from the representatives
of the university. This might also be an interesting angle to examine the data that indicated a lack
of capacity building for entrepreneurship in the institutions of higher education in Ethiopia.

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 Appendices

Appendix A: Semi-Structured Interview Questions for Entrepreneurs

1. What is your business about? What is your product or service and who or what do you
identify as your market or customers?
2. What is your personal background (field etc.) where did you get your idea for your
business or invention?
3. Why entrepreneurship? What are the benefits and the difficulties of being an
entrepreneur?
4. Is the Ethiopian climate favourable for entrepreneurs and innovators?
5. Would you want more policy supporting the growth of innovation per say?
6. Do you feel that entrepreneurs like yourself are necessary for sustainable development?
Or what do you feel are the necessary components of sustainable growth?
7. Would you say Ethiopians are innovative and creative and is there a need for innovation
policy?

Appendix B: Semi-Structured Interview Questions for Stakeholders

1. How would you describe your organization? What are your goals and function?
2. What are the benefits and the difficulties of conducting business in Ethiopia?
3. Is the Ethiopian climate favorable for entrepreneurs and innovators?
4. Would you want more policy supporting the growth of innovation per se?
5. Do you feel that entrepreneurs like yourself are necessary for sustainable development?
Or what do you feel are the necessary components of sustainable growth?
6. Would you say Ethiopians are innovative and creative and is there a need for innovation
policy?

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Appendix C: List of Interviewees

Number Interviewee Organization Gender Date

1. Stakeholder iceAddis Male 2.4.2013

2. Stakeholder iceAddis Male 2.4.2013

3. Entrepreneur iceAddis Male 3.4.2013

4. Entrepreneur iceAddis Male 3.4.2013

5. Stakeholder ICT Center of Excellence Male 4.4.2013

6. Entrepreneur Independent Female 11.4.2013

7. Entrepreneur iceAddis Male 12.4.2013

8. Entrepreneur Independent Male 16.4.2013

9. Entrepreneur Independent Male 17.4.2013

10. Stakeholder ICT-ET Male 17.4.2013

11. Entrepreneur iceAddis Male 18.4.2013

12. Entrepreneur iceAddis Female 25.4.2013

13. Entrepreneur Independent Male 30.4.2013

14. Group of four iceAddis Males 30.4.2013

Entrepreneurs

15. Entrepreneur Independent Male 30.4.2013

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