Science and Technology Information Center (Ethiopia)

Collecting, organizing, analyzing, and disseminating information related to science and technology is of significant importance for successful technology transfer. In Ethiopia there is no well-organized science and technology information source or system as required by manufacturing and service providing enterprises, higher education, researcher institutes and other entities.

Despite the fact that there are certain types of information which are prepared and kept in the form of statistics, databases, indicators and bibliography, there were no mechanisms to publish and update them regularly. Therefore, it is imperative to develop and establish a national science and technology information system to fill the gaps and bring expected results, including the acceleration of technology transfer. Establishing and strengthen such a system will create a capacity that accelerates technology transfer through identifying, gathering, organizing, analyzing, disseminating and proper utilization of science and technology information. It is with this in mind that the government of Ethiopia established STIC under the direction of Abiy Ahmed Ali.

Research and experimental development (R&D) is one of the science and technology indicators. It comprises creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, together with the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications. The term R&D covers three activities: basic research, applied research and experimental development. In Ethiopia, the first national survey of R&D was undertaken by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2009. In 2013 STIC was mandated to conduct this survey and also conducted the second national survey of R&D in 2014.

The survey covered areas which show Ethiopia's investment and human resource on R&D in four sectors: government, higher education, business enterprises and private non-profits (PNP). The 2014 survey indicated that the share of gross domestic expenditure on research and experimental development (GERD) to the GDP, or R&D intensity of the country was 0.61%. This result is not far from the continental target of 1% and shows a threefold surge compared to that of 2010 R&D intensity (0.24%).

Innovation is also one of the science and technology indicators. It is defined as implementation of a new or significantly improved: product (good or service), process, a new marketing method, a new organizational method in business practices, workplace organization, external relations. Innovations are fundamental to economic growth, development and the well-being of nations. There are four types of innovations: product innovations, process innovations, marketing innovations and organizational innovations.

In Ethiopia, national survey of innovation has not been conducted. But, since the Science and Technology Information center (STIC) is mandated in 2013 to conduct this survey, it is conducting national survey of innovation in 2014. The national innovation survey collects information about product and process innovation as well as organizational innovation and marketing innovation during a three-year reference period11. The principal variables collected relate to: product innovation, turnover from new market and new to firm product innovation, process innovation, ongoing and abandoned innovation, innovation expenditure, innovation co-operation, innovation hampering factors, innovation objectives, organizational innovation, marketing innovation and creativity and skills.

Bibliometrics is also one of the science and technology indicators. It is finding information patterns by analyzing citation patterns analyzing word use frequencies using statistical analysis. Bibliometrics is the application of quantitative analysis and statistics to publications such as journal articles and their accompanying citation counts. Quantitative evaluation of publication and citation data is now used in almost all nations around the globe with a sizeable science enterprise.

Bibliometrics is used in research performance evaluation, especially in university and government labs, and also by policymakers, research directors and administrators, information specialists and librarians, and researchers’ themselves. The purpose of Bibliometrics is to make quantitative analysis of science and technology performance, quantitative analysis of the cognitive and organizational structure of science and technology and to know how a certain science or technology has evolved in a certain period of time. Bibliometrics analysis has not been conducted in Ethiopia; in 2014, however, STIC was planning to conduct it.

The center recently published a science and technology focused search database employing an advanced data mining technology that supports local languages. Golgule search engine also features photos and videos, press conferences via online streaming, promotional and instructional materials, including technology videos for livelihood.

STIC is hosting Ethiopia's first national science and technology digital library. It provides custom-picked educational resources that are used to meet the country's academic and knowledge needs. With emphasis on the sciences, technology, and engineering as well as humanities and arts, it boasts a large collection of e-books. It targets formal and informal, institutional and individual, in local, state and national customers. The digital library employs tools like optical character recognition and has a pioneering OCR system developed to work with local language, Amharic.

In collaboration with EIPO (Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office), STIC hosts a patent information storage, searching and retrieval system for local as well as international patents. International patents so far include the US patents, Japanese and Chinese patents. It also hosts locally registered PIs. The patent platform has multiple query generation processes, organized according to priority areas for technology transfer; it also supports the Amharic language.[3]

The center has its own datacenter where it hosts all its public as well as private services for its stakeholders. This data-center subsumes standard data center equipment including high end servers, storage servers; network attached storages as well as network connectivity and integration accessories.

The center has focused its resources at the beginning on internal automation and seamless operation. Through this focus, it has produced two automation systems for the country: HRMS (Human Resource Management System) and BSC (Balanced Scored Card). HRMS, through its web-based interface, automates payroll and benefits, personnel information, leave/attendance management, performance appraisals, etc. The second BSC system also focuses on employee management, but from a performance point of view, using the international balanced score card scheme. It is also web-based and helps report the progress of the organization as a whole as well as measure the performances of departments, teams and individuals in a scientific manner.