New technologies

From super-fast electric trains to self-driving cars and robots that look like things from sci-fi movies, technologies that have not received enough recognition, coverage and development in the African tech ecosystem.

Before I show why there is not enough in this area of ​​technology, it is important to understand what new technologies are.

Understanding new technologies

Emerging technologies (ET) are future technology in the process of developing core and practical use cases. They include blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), nanotechnology and biotech; ET is often in the concept stage and has not seen mainstream adoption.

They are primarily new technologies, which sometimes involve a new innovation that completely explains existing technologies. ET can be hardware or software, but it’s almost always a profound technology that truly disrupts the status quo with solutions that aren’t easy to replicate.

You could argue that companies like Uber and Flutterwave are innovative, and you’d be right. However, these companies used only shallow and fully developed technology to create solutions.

An example of Uber as an ET solution would be self-driving cars that pick up drivers and respond to voice commands.

However, both types of technology are equally important and new technologies do not reduce the importance of shallow technology.

The growing state of technology in Africa

Little is being done about developing new technologies/deep technologies in Africa. As mentioned earlier, the technological space is where new innovations are created. Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone and Nikola Tesla’s first alternating current (AC) motor fit well into this group.

There are not many inventions from Africa, and Statista’s ranking of countries with the highest patent grants does not include countries from the continent. Interestingly, China and the USA had 530,127 and 351,993 patent grants respectively in 2020, while Africa had just over 1,000.

Education is one of the many factors contributing to Africa’s low patent grants.

In our conversation with Kimisola Bolarinwa, the inventor of the Smart Bra that detects early signs of breast cancer, we learned that building students’ interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) early facilitates critical thinking, which enables the creation of innovative technologies.

According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), less than 25% of African students pursue a career in STEM at a higher level. However, people like Bolarinwa prove that Africa has the ability to reinvent the wheel.

Adebayo Along, founder of RxAll – a startup that uses AI, blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) for drug quality assurance – is another example of Africans playing in the ET space.

According to Alonge, his education at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria was enough to give him STEM knowledge that puts him at par with other STEM graduates from US and UK Ivy League institutions.

With innovators like Bolarinwa working to get more people, especially women, interested in STEM, some of the greatest technological innovations could come out of Africa.

But education is only part of the problem; Financial support is another. While African startups attract billions of dollars in funding annually, little goes to startups building in the emerging technology space. In the year In 2021, 62% of startup funding went to fintech, while only 8% went to healthtech and biotech.

Business that disrupts new technology startups is another issue. While inventing new technology is amazing, making it viable and affordable for everyday people is a different kind of discovery and innovation.

For context, few people and corporations could afford the first computers when they were created. However, today it is very easy to own a computer.

Why are new technologies and advanced technologies important in Africa?

From a smart bra that can detect breast cancer to an AI-powered tool that helps farmers analyze soil and increase yields, emerging technology solves society’s social and environmental problems.

While fintech applications can provide farmers with access to insurance and credit facilities, access to high-yielding products and adequate storage space is more critical.

New technologies also directly address issues that affect our existence. For example, seismometers can save thousands of lives by monitoring and recording earthquake activity, and there is ongoing research to make them more effective at detecting earthquake activity.

They are not just the start of a significant tech movement in Africa. Governments have an important role to play in making a new market like Africa a hotbed of emerging technologies.

In the Emerging Tech Africa series, I highlight amazing breakthroughs in deep technology to inspire and educate Africans about the importance of emerging technologies.