Empowering Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Ethiopia

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 Innovatio