Zambia Launches Science, Technology and Innovation Policy to Drive National Growth

Zambia has officially unveiled its 2025 Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy, presenting a transformative blueprint for Zambia’s ambition to leverage science and innovation as catalysts for inclusive, sustainable development and global competitiveness.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of Technology and Science, Hon. Felix Chipota Mutati, emphasized the practical impact of science and innovation in achieving national economic goals:

“When President Hakainde Hichilema says we need to export 1 billion US dollars’ worth of beef, he means that we should improve the genetics and grow a cow faster and also eradicate diseases faster in order to get a 1-billion-dollar worth of export. When the President says we need to produce 10 billion tons of maize, what he is saying is that we should move from the lab and put food on the table and Science and Innovation is the answer. The policy is critical because it comes at a time when the global economy is being shaped by technological change from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics to Space science, Biotechnology and Green energy indicating that the future belongs to nations that innovate, adapt and Transform.”

–Hon. Felix Chipota Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science, Zambia.

The STI Policy includes strategic investments, such as over K3 billion earmarked for Research and Development (R&D) to strengthen Zambia’s innovation ecosystem. It also includes efforts to establish national research priorities, upgrade scientific infrastructure, and build a national database of research projects.

In the field of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, K8 million has been allocated to design regulatory frameworks, ethical guidelines, education programmes, and awareness campaigns. The goal, according to the ministry, is “to position Zambia as a regional hub.”

The policy also focuses on technology commercialization, with plans to establish five new technology transfer offices, innovation hubs, and science parks. It will also introduce a national start-up database and commercialization guidelines to accelerate technology-based enterprise development.

To build human capital, the policy will offer scholarships, exchange programmes, and mentorships aimed at training at least 500 postgraduates in STEM fields. It also plans to strengthen diaspora engagement, establish legal frameworks for indigenous knowledge systems, and increase Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) from 0.28% to 0.50% by 2029.

“We are proud to have worked collaboratively with our partners in Academia, Industry, Civil society and International organizations to craft a policy that is inclusive, forward looking and responsive to the emerging technological realities and opportunities. The STI Policy we are launching today is a shared National vision for an innovative Zambia. It comes at a critical juncture when the world is advancing rapidly in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, Green technologies, space exploration and digital transformation.”

–Eng. Dr. Brilliant Habeenzu, Permanent Secretary, Zambia. 

The launch of the STI Policy positions Zambia to not only respond to global technological change but to lead innovation on the continent through a structured and ambitious national framework.