Reforms unlock much-needed research cash for universities

Kenyan universities have demonstrated strong research capacity. But the majority of them, including University of Kabianga, have limited success in translating this research into market impact.

While the university consistently generates high-quality, locally relevant research, only a small portion evolves into market-ready solutions, sustainable enterprises, or broad socio-economic benefits.

For years, commercialisation frameworks were primarily theoretical, functioning with limited authority, coordination and practical effectiveness.

This is now changing, following the success of a major programme designed to transform how Kenyan research reaches the market. The initiative has demonstrated that systemic institutional reform is key to unlocking innovation-led growth.

The Research-to-Commercialisation (R2C) programme (2022–2025), an initiative of the Kenya National Innovation Agency, has directly contributed to the mobilisation of Sh605.6 million ($4.68 million) in capital and supporting 438 jobs, with 76 per cent of the jobs being held by women.

The R2C programme engagement began with senior leadership through the Executive Leadership Training Programme, reframing commercialisation as a strategic priority rather than an optional add-on.

As a result, commercialisation was embedded into senior management decision-making processes, clear mandates were established for innovation and technology transfer office (TTO) functions, and governance structures were adjusted to support intellectual property and partnership decisions.

The TTO was strengthened and legitimised within the university, and research workflows began integrating commercialisation considerations from the outset.

These reforms led to faster intellectual property decisions, stronger industry engagement, and the university’s first credible pipeline of market-facing innovations.

The programme shows that Kenya’s challenge is no longer about piloting new approaches, but about scaling what works. The next phase will require deepening and institutionalising proven systems.

Implemented by Viktoria Ventures under the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Programme and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The R2C was designed to address persistent challenges, including fragmented commercialisation efforts, weak institutional systems, and over-reliance on individual champions within universities.

Mark Lawler, Team Lead of The RISA Fund, says prior investments succeeded in raising awareness but did not establish the durable institutional systems required for scale.

“The R2C’s evidence is clear: Investing first in leadership alignment and governance reform unlocks sustainable commercialisation pathways and delivers greater value for money,” Lawler says.

Despite sustained investments in research across agriculture, health, climate resilience, water, manufacturing, and digital technologies, commercialisation efforts in Kenya have historically remained fragmented.

TTOs often lacked the authority and resources necessary to function effectively, policies were either absent or underutilised, and commercialisation was treated as a peripheral or project-based activity rather than a core institutional mandate.

The R2C programme directly addressed these challenges by working at both institutional and ecosystem levels.

It strengthened leadership engagement, governance structures, commercialisation policies, and technology transfer capacity, repositioning commercialisation as a central institutional responsibility aligned with national development priorities.

Stephen Gugu, co-founder and director of Viktoria Ventures, explains that the programme helped shift commercialisation from an abstract concept to an operational function within universities.

“By engaging national actors as system stewards, the programme aligned institutional reforms with Kenya’s emerging national innovation architecture,” says Gugu.

Through its work, the programme engaged senior university leadership, strengthened TTOs, and supported the operationalisation of more than 20 intellectual property and commercialisation policies.

A significant achievement was embedding commercialisation as a core strategic mandate within university governance structures.

This systemic shift produced tangible outcomes, including strengthened research-to-commercialisation systems in 25 universities and the establishment or reinforcement of more than 14 operational TTOs.

In addition, 39 research-based innovations received support, 15 female innovators benefited from targeted assistance and 12 ventures successfully transitioned to scale, collectively reaching more than 10,000 customers.

Dr Tony Omwansa, CEO of the Kenya National Innovation Agency, emphasises that these results represent more than isolated successes.

“Rather, they signal systemic change and the emergence of predictable pathways that link universities, markets, and finance within a coherent national system,” he says.

The Kenya Climate Innovation Centre Chief Executive Joseph Murabula believes Kenya is now ready to move beyond isolated pilots toward national commercialisation pipelines, driven by leadership, sustained by institutions, and reinforced by markets and finance.

“Our role now, as a national system steward, is to anchor these institutional models within Kenya’s innovation architecture, ensuring replication and long-term public-sector ownership,” said Murabula.

The experience of the University of Kabianga illustrates how leadership-led reform can rapidly unlock commercialisation potential.

Looking ahead, key priorities include replicating leadership-driven models across more universities, embedding commercialisation within national financing mechanisms, and deepening market integration to move innovations beyond pilot stages toward sustained, demand-led growth.