Universities mobilise Ksh605M to drive research commercialization, job creation

Universities have helped mobilize more than Ksh605 million under a national initiative aimed at turning academic research into commercial products and companies, officials and program reports show, as policymakers seek to link scientific discovery with job creation and economic growth.

The Research-to-Commercialisation (R2C) Programme, implemented by the Kenya National Innovation Agency under the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund and supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, partnered with 25 universities between 2022 and 2025 to strengthen systems that move research from laboratories into the marketplace.

According to an impact report, the programme helped mobilise Ksh605.6 million in capital and contributed to the creation of 438 jobs, mainly within early-stage ventures, technology transfer offices and research-linked enterprises. Women accounted for approximately 76 per cent of the roles supported through programme-linked commercialisation activities.

Kenya National Innovation Agency Chief Executive Officer Dr Tony Omwansa said the latest figures signal a more systematic approach to linking universities, markets and finance within a coherent national innovation system.

For years, universities have generated high-quality research that often remained confined to academic journals, with limited translation into industry applications, employment or household income. Weak commercialisation structures, under-resourced Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and fragmented institutional policies have been widely cited as key barriers.

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The R2C Programme sought to address these constraints at both institutional and ecosystem levels by focusing on leadership alignment, governance reform, policy development and strengthening technology transfer capacity. The goal was to enable universities to more consistently transform research outputs into viable products and services.

“Prior investments increased awareness but not the durable institutional systems needed for scale “R2C’s evidence is clear: investing first in leadership alignment and governance reform unlocks sustainable commercialisation pathways and delivers greater value for money,” said Mark Lawler, Team Lead of the RISA Fund.

Participating institutions established or strengthened more than 14 Technology Transfer Offices and operationalised over 20 intellectual property and commercialisation policies, providing clearer frameworks for managing innovation and engaging industry partners.

The programme supported 39 research-based innovations, with 12 ventures progressing to scale. Collectively, these enterprises have served more than 10,000 customers, reflecting growing demand for university-developed products and services.

At University of Kabianga, leadership training backed by the initiative helped embed commercialisation into governance and decision making processes, strengthen the institution’s TTO and accelerate industry partnerships. Officials say this has resulted in an expanding pipeline of market-ready innovations.

Independent assessments of university led innovation in Africa indicate that many early-stage ventures struggle to survive beyond pilot stages due to limited access to finance, weak private-sector linkages and uneven institutional capacity. Analysts note that while the funds mobilised under R2C remain modest compared to the broader economy, the establishment of institutionalised commercialisation systems marks a significant shift in how research contributes to job creation, enterprise development and national value chains.

Critics caution that sustaining and scaling these gains will require continued public investment, stronger public-private partnerships and improved access to venture capital.

By Obegi Malack