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Science and technology in Malawi

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Science and Technology in Malawi

Overview

Malawi, a landlocked country in southeastern Africa, has been steadily advancing its science and technology sector as part of its broader development strategy. With a focus on improving education, healthcare, agriculture, and infrastructure, science and technology are increasingly seen as critical tools for addressing the nation's socio-economic challenges. Despite limited resources, Malawi has made significant strides in innovation and research, particularly in areas directly linked to its development needs.

Key Areas of Development

1. Education and Research Malawi has placed a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Key institutions such as the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) have been pivotal in fostering research and innovation. These universities focus on disciplines such as biotechnology, renewable energy, and agricultural sciences, aiming to train the next generation of scientists and engineers.

2. Healthcare Innovations Malawi’s healthcare sector has benefited from advancements in medical research and technology. The country has been recognized for its work in combatting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Partnerships with international organizations, such as the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have supported research into disease prevention and treatment. Mobile health technologies, such as SMS-based health information systems, have been implemented to improve access to healthcare services in remote areas.

3. Agricultural Technology Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi's economy, employing nearly 80% of the population. The use of science and technology in agriculture has focused on improving crop yields, combating pests, and addressing climate change. The development of drought-resistant maize varieties by organizations like the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and LUANAR has been instrumental in enhancing food security. Farmers are also increasingly using mobile platforms for weather updates and market information.

4. Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability With only a small percentage of the population having access to electricity, renewable energy has become a key area of focus. Solar energy initiatives, such as those led by organizations like Barefoot College and local startups, are providing affordable and sustainable energy solutions. Furthermore, efforts to protect Malawi’s unique ecosystems, including Lake Malawi, have driven research into environmental conservation technologies.

Challenges

Despite its progress, Malawi faces several challenges in advancing science and technology:

  • Limited Funding: Research and development (R&D) activities are often hindered by insufficient financial resources.
  • Brain Drain: Many skilled professionals leave the country for better opportunities abroad, impacting local innovation capacity.
  • Infrastructure Deficits: Inadequate infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, restricts the implementation of advanced technologies.
  • Digital Divide: Limited internet penetration and high costs of ICT tools hinder access to modern technologies for many Malawians.

Government and Policy Initiatives

The Malawian government has recognized the importance of science and technology in achieving its Vision 2063 development goals. Key policies include:

  • National Science and Technology Policy: Aims to promote R&D and innovation.
  • ICT Policy: Focuses on improving internet access and digital literacy.
  • Partnerships: Collaboration with regional and international organizations to attract investment and expertise in science and technology.

Future Prospects

Malawi’s commitment to leveraging science and technology for development holds promise for its future. Key areas for growth include:

  • Biotechnology: Expanding research into crops and medicines tailored to local needs.
  • ICT Expansion: Increasing internet access and digital education to boost entrepreneurship and innovation.
  • Green Energy: Scaling up renewable energy projects to achieve energy sustainability.
  • Health Research: Strengthening partnerships to combat endemic diseases and improve healthcare delivery.

Economy

GDP in Southern African Development Community countries by the economic sector in 2013 or the closest available year.[1]

The economy of Malawi is predominantly agricultural. Over 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming, even though agriculture only contributes 27% of the GDP. The services sector accounts for more than half of GDP (54%), compared to 11% for manufacturing and 8% for other industries, including natural uranium mining.[1] Malawi invests more in agriculture (as a share of GDP) than any other African country: 28% of GDP.[2]

Agriculture accounts for 90% of export revenue. The three most important export crops are: tobacco, tea, and sugar cane. The tobacco sector alone accounted for half of the exports. Moreover, most products are exported in a raw or semi-processed state. Tobacco accounts for half of the country's exports (50%), natural uranium and its compounds for a further 10%, and raw sugar cane for 8%.[1][3]

The government's attempts to diversify the agriculture sector have been constrained by poor infrastructure, an inadequately trained workforce, and its business climate.[1]

National Export Strategy

In 2013, the government adopted a National Export Strategy to diversify the country's exports. Production facilities are to be established for a wide range of products within the three selected clusters: oil seed products, sugar cane products, and manufacturing. The government estimates that these three 'clusters' have the potential to represent more than 50% of Malawi's exports by 2027. The strategy also helps companies obtain grants to invest in technologies from sources such as the country's Export Development Fund and the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund.[1][3]

Fiscal incentives to attract foreign investors

Domestic expenditure on research in Southern Africa as a percentage of GDP in 2012 or the closest year.[1]

Malawi's foreign direct investment (FDI) has been growing since 2011 due to a government reform of the financial management system and the adoption of the Economic Recovery Plan. In 2012, the majority of investors came from China (46%) and the UK (46%), with most FDI inflows going to infrastructure (62%) and the energy sector (33%). FDI in Malawi amounted to 3.2% of GDP in 2013.

The government has introduced a series of fiscal incentives to attract foreign investors, including tax breaks. In 2013, the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre put together an investment portfolio spanning 20 companies.[1][3] Malawi's FDI inflows were recorded to be worth US$189 million in 2022, which is a 45.6 percentage point increase from US$129.5 million in 2021.[4]

Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund

The Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund is a competitive facility, through which businesses in Malawi's agricultural and manufacturing sectors can apply for grant funding for innovative projects. The first round of competitive bidding opened in April 2014.[1][3] The fund is aligned with the three 'clusters': oil seed products, sugar cane products, and manufacturing. It provides a matching grant of up to 50% for innovative business projects.[1][3] It is endowed with US$8 million from the United Nations Development Programme and the United Kingdom Department for International Development.[1][3]

Research and publications

Researchers (HC) in Southern Africa per million inhabitants in 2013 or the closest year[1]

Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi devoted 1.06% of GDP to gross domestic expenditure on research and development in 2010, according to a survey by the Department of Science and Technology, which makes it one of the highest ratios in Africa. This corresponds to US$7.8 per researcher.[1][3] Malawi is considered to have a viable national innovation system by an UNESCO report.[1]

In 2010, Malawi counted 123 researchers (in head counts) per million inhabitants, a median number for Southern Africa. This was a higher ratio than the average for sub-Saharan Africa as a whole: 91 researchers per million inhabitants. In Malawi, one in five researchers were women in 2010.[1]

Scientific publication trends in the most productive SADC countries, 2005–2014[1]

Between 2008 and 2014, scientists from Malawi collaborated most with their peers from the United States, followed by the UK, South Africa, and ex-aqueo Kenya and the Netherlands.[1] In 2014, Malawian scientists had the third-largest output in Southern Africa, in terms of articles catalogued in international journals. They published 322 articles in Thomson Reuters's Web of Science that year, almost triple the number in 2005, which had only 116 papers published. Only South Africa (9,309) and the United Republic of Tanzania (770) published more in that year.

The country's publication density was 19 publications per million inhabitants catalogued in international journals in 2014. This compares with 6 for Mozambique, 15 for the United Republic of Tanzania, 20 for Swaziland, 21 for Zimbabwe, 59 for Namibia, 71 for Mauritius, 103 for Botswana, and 364 for South Africa.[1][3]

Policies

Science

Scientific publications per million inhabitants in SADC countries in 2014[1]

Malawi's first science and technology policy from 1991 was revised in 2002. Despite being approved, the 2002 policy has not been fully implemented, largely due to the lack of an implementation plan and an uncoordinated approach to the Systems Technology Institute. This policy has been under revision with UNESCO assistance to re-align its approaches with the second Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (2013).[1][3]

Scientific research output in terms of publications in Southern Africa, cumulative totals by field, 2008–2014[1]

The National Science and Technology Policy of 2002 envisaged the establishment of a National Commission for Science and Technology to advise the government and other stakeholders on science and technology-led development. Although the Science and Technology Act of 2003 made provision for the creation of this commission, it only became operational in 2011, with a secretariat resulting from the merger of the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Council. The Science and Technology Act of 2003 also established a Science and Technology Fund to finance research and studies through government grants and loans. As of 2014, it was not yet operational.

The Secretariat of the National Commission for Science and Technology reviewed the Strategic Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (2011–2015), but, as of early 2015, the revised policy had not yet met with Cabinet approval.[1][3]

Education

In 2012, the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) planned to build the capacity of the Systems Technology Institute. LUANAR was delinked from the University of Malawi. This brings the number of public universities to four, along with the University of Malawi and Mzuzu University.[1]

In December 2013, Malawi launched the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy for Malawi to drive the deployment of ICTs in economic and productive sectors. A review of secondary school curricula in 2013 was also conducted.[3] In May 2024, the MUST's 2024–2030 strategic plan were launched.[5]

Policy framework

Malawi is not one of the four SADC countries that ratified the SADC Protocol on Science, Technology and Innovation (2008) by 2015. Ten of the 15 SADC countries must ratify the protocol for it to enter into force. As of 2015, only Botswana, Mauritius, Mozambique, and South Africa had done so. The protocol promotes legal and political cooperation.[1] Two primary policy documents operationalize the SADC Treaty (1992), the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan for 2005–2020, adopted in 2003, and the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (2004).

A 2013 mid-term review of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan for 2005–2020 noted that limited progress had been made towards STI targets, owing to the lack of human and financial resources at the SADC Secretariat to coordinate the programmes. At a meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, in June 2014, SADC ministers adopted the SADC Regional Strategic Plan on Science, Technology and Innovation for 2015–2020 to guide the implementation of regional programmes.[1]

In 1999, the SADC adopted a protocol governing wildlife, forestry, shared water courses, and the environment, including climate change, the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement. In 2013, ministers responsible for the environment and natural resources approved the development of the SADC Regional Climate Change programme. In addition, COMESA, the East African Community, and SADC have been implementing an initiative since 2010 known as the Tripartite Programme on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, or The African Solution to Address Climate Change.[1]

See also

Sources

 This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC-BY-SA IGO. 3.0. Text taken from UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030​, UNESCO.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Kraemer-Mbula, Erika; Scerri, Mario (2015). Southern Africa. In: UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 (PDF). Paris: UNESCO. pp. 535–555. ISBN 978-92-3-100129-1.
  2. ^ The Maputo Commitments and the 2014 African Year of Agriculture (PDF). ONE.org. 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lemarchand, Guillermo A.; Schneegans, Susan (2014). Mapping Research and Innovation in the Republic of Malawi. Paris: UNESCO. ISBN 978-92-3-100032-4. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "Investing In Sustainable Energy For All" (PDF). United Nations Trade and Development. FDI flows, by region and economy, 2017–2022, p. 197. 2023. eISSN 2225-1677. ISBN 978-9213000557. ISSN 1020-2218.
  5. ^ Mphande, James (May 13, 2024). "MUST launches new strategic plan". Malawi University of Science and Technology. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
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