Tanzania needs stronger links between policy, research, universities, startups, funding and industry if its digital transformation ambitions are to translate into jobs, businesses and economic growth, members of a Tanzanian delegation have learned.
The lesson came during a seven-day study visit organised by the Tanzania Information and Communication Technologies Commission (ICTC) in collaboration with the European Union-funded Digital for Tanzania (D4T) Twinning Project, which supports Tanzania’s digital transformation through government cooperation.
The visit exposed Tanzanian officials, ICT professionals and startups to Finland’s innovation ecosystem, including policies, research institutions, artificial intelligence (AI), universities, startups, innovation hubs and businesses.
ICTC head of ICT development, Dr Ally Simba, said the programme demonstrated how parts of an innovation ecosystem connect.
‘We have gone through the whole ecosystem of innovation and AI. We have looked at policies, innovation, research, startups and business. We have learnt something from every part of that ecosystem,’ he said.
Dr Simba said a clear lesson was the importance of data.
‘In every presentation, you see numbers. Those numbers are evidence of what has happened. Data is very important,’ he said, adding that Tanzania needed reliable data on innovation and AI adoption to guide decisions.
He identified funding and collaboration as critical, saying Tanzania needed stronger domestic investment in startups and innovation.
‘In Finland, there is a clear connection between people working in different parts of the ecosystem. Someone working on university innovation knows people in the startup ecosystem, and startups know people working in AI and data. We still work too much in silos,’ he said.
The lessons come as Tanzania implements its digital economy agenda and seeks to translate Dira 2050 into a knowledge- and technology-driven economy.
The strategy identifies science and technology, research and development, and digital transformation among key drivers of economic transformation.
ICTC planning officer, Ms Martha Maro, said the visit challenged the perception that ICT belongs only to technology graduates.
‘I have learnt that being in ICT does not necessarily mean you studied ICT. Whatever field you are in, you can use ICT to make your work easier,’ she said.
She said Tanzania needed stronger innovation centres to help young people turn ideas into businesses.
Startup founder, Ms Janeth Bagera, said Finland’s experience showed that innovation ecosystems could begin with people before formal structures were built.
‘Maria 01 and Startup Sauna in Finland started with people. Sometimes you can start with two people, a desk and Wi-Fi, and it can grow into something much bigger,’ she said.
Dr Simba said Tanzania should not view itself as starting from zero.
‘Our foundation is already there. We have infrastructure. Now we need to put in place the missing pieces and scale up to the next stage,’ he said.