Policy briefs - DFID Innovation and Development

Based on the EIP-LIC research outcomes, Tilburg University has developed a series of policy briefs with a view to promoting innovation and raising productivity in manufacturing SMEs in low income countries in Africa and Asia. The briefs provide practical and operational insights for policy makers to consider in their innovation policies and programs.

The targeted policy makers include government officials and staff within various ministries (S&T, industrialization, higher education and economic planning, to name a few). In addition, the briefs provide useful suggestions for SME owners and managers and branch organizations in the private sector. Likewise, development agencies, donors and NGOs working in low income countries could use the insights for their development programs.

The 2-page briefs summarize the main findings of a scientific article from the project, followed by practical suggestions and recommendations.

The series of policy briefs includes:

  1. Promoting human capital and innovation
  2. Total factor productivity spillovers
  3. Institutions, resources and innovation
  4. Exports and innovation
  5. Factors affecting engagement and commercialisation of innovation
  6. Informality and access to finance
  7. Mobile money, trade credit and economic development
  8. External knowledge sources and the cost and benefits of innovation
  9. Gender diversity and innovation
  10. R&D, foreign technology and technical efficiency
  11. Import inputs and product innovation
  12. Finance and demand for skill
  13. Income variability and innovation
  14. Effects of knowledge sources
  15. Labour flexibility and firm innovativeness
  16. Scanning capabilities and the impact of environmental characteristics
  17. Institutional voids and innovation
  18. Internal knowledge sources and R&D
  19. Trade credit and access to finance
  20. Market creation and export

Implementation of the policy

An underlying idea of EIP-LIC is to encourage and facilitate policy makers to translate the research findings into actual policy, supporting the process of evidence-based policy making.

Against this background, Tilburg University seeks linkages with policy makers with the aim of implementing policy suggestions within their formal institutional environments (SMEs, branch organizations, ministries, donors, NGOs in the countries of study). Tilburg University would be interested to interact with policy makers on the further formulation and document of ‘cases’ for impact.

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