Keywords science technology innovation partnerships capabilities poverty alleviation Africa 103 TMSD 5 (2) 103–123 © Intellect Ltd 2006 1 These include not only the publications from the Millennium Project (2004), and the Commission for Africa (2005), but also House of Commons (2004), Oyeyinka-Oyelaran (2005), Muchie et al. (2003), Watson, Crawford and Farley (2003). International Journal of Technology Management and Sustainable Development Volume 5 Number 2 © 2006 Intellect Ltd Article. English language. doi: 10.1386/ijtm.5.2.103/1 Science and technology partnerships and poverty alleviation in Africa Joanna Chataway Open University James Smith University of Edinburgh David Wield Open University Abstract The question of how to build science and technology (S&T) capacity in Africa has been on and off the agenda for decades, as has the issue of how to use partnerships to accelerate capacity building. Recent policy proposals have focused on expanding S&T capacity but have emphasized less the need for a rigorous rethink about how science, technology and innovation can be better organized for development. This paper aims to assess, using evidence from recent cases, the importance of new theories and practices based on the role of innovation and knowledge systems. The paper argues that lessons can be learned from transformations in research policy and from practices that better integrate new ideas from innovation, knowledge and development. It focuses on the changes required for science, technology and innovation to be accepted as key for the alleviation of poverty. Introduction The question of how to build S&T capacity in Africa has been on and (frequently) off the agenda for decades. More recently, the issue of how to use partnerships to accelerate capacity building has emerged. There is currently an explosion of interest in S&T in Africa. A plethora of reports and policy documents 1 have argued for a massive expansion in support to S&T but much less for a rigorous rethink about how science, technology and innovation can better be organized for development, certainly until the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) brought pressure to bear on policy to focus on poverty reduction. This paper aims to assess the impor- tance of ‘new’ theories and practices based on better understanding of innovation and knowledge systems. The paper argues that lessons can be learned from practices that better understand and integrate new ideas from innovation, knowledge and development. Such lessons exist not only in North America and Europe, but also in developing countries including those from Africa itself. The paper uses a range of evidence from recent cases of science and technological capacity development and capability enhancement in Africa, to assess the implica- tions for future development of science technology and innovation (ST&I)