'Move from dialogue to action,' Koskei tells innovators

Universities and research institutions have been challenged to move beyond producing academic papers and instead create products, enterprises and jobs to tackle Kenya’s pressing needs.

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on Friday told delegates at the 4th Commercialisation and Entrepreneurial Institutions Leaders’ Summit (CEIL 2025) in Mombasa that the country must break barriers between academia and industry to unlock sustainable financing and attract private sector investment in research and development.

“Our challenge is not producing more research papers. It is ensuring that research translates into production, enterprise, food sufficiency, better health outcomes and transformative mindsets. We must move from donor dependency to models that fund innovation sustainably,” said Koskei.

Koskei linked his call to recent government reforms, including the creation of the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation to coordinate research, mobilise funding and ensure measurable impact.

As part of the summit, Koskei launched Student-Led Innovation Clubs in 11 universities, including the University of Nairobi, Daystar University, Riara University and United States International University–Africa.

The clubs, he said, will act as incubators for student-led solutions and strengthen the country’s innovation pipeline, with plans to expand to all universities.

The summit also showcased the Kenya National Innovation Agency’s Research-to-Commercialisation Accelerator, which has generated 18 enterprises, created 220 jobs and raised more than Sh217 million.

Koskei said such models should be scaled up across universities, technical colleges and research centres to ensure research delivers tangible benefits.

However, Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation Shaukat Abdulrazak noted that Kenyan universities produce only 25 to 50 patents annually, underscoring the gap between innovation potential and commercial output.

He urged faster implementation of the National Intellectual Property Policy, the Startup Bill (2022) and the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy to close that gap.

Kenya National Innovation Agency CEO Tonny Omwansa framed the summit as part of a coordinated national effort, announcing the formalisation of the Network of Entrepreneurial Institutions Leaders, expansion of commercialisation support to 25 institutions by December, and the rollout of a National Shared Technology Transfer Office Service targeting USD 10 million in short-term funding.

Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime reinforced the message, saying innovation and entrepreneurship are key to tackling unemployment and other national challenges.

“This is the moment to move from dialogue to action. Kenya and Africa must position themselves not as consumers of global innovation, but as creators of solutions for the world,” noted Koskei.