Strengthening Innovation Ecosystems

NOVEMBER 2021

Strengthening innovation ecosystems has been a continuous area of interest for members of the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA) since its inception in 2015. In this paper, members of the IDIA Ecosystem Strengthening Working Group came together to pool knowledge and learning to help answer the question: “What are the most effective ways in which development agencies might strengthen innovation ecosystems?”

This report presents the findings of that work, and includes an analysis of current definitions of ecosystem strengthening approaches as well as insights and learning from consultations with IDIA agencies and innovation ecosystem actors in Asia, Africa and Latin America. It is an essential tool for anyone looking to understand innovation ecosystems, and also introduces a simple framework to help organize ecosystem strengthening interventions based around 9 goals.

The report was officially launched in partnership with the Government of Ghana as part of its Ghana Digital Innovation Week in November 2021.