Innovation awards boost Côte d’Ivoire’s national research drive

The Fund for Science, Technology and Innovation (FONSTI) opened the audition phase for the FONSTI Innovation Prize 2025, marking a decisive moment in a process launched earlier this year to strengthen Côte d’Ivoire’s innovation ecosystem.

The auditions follow the official launch of the inaugural Innovation Prize on 8 April 2025, when the Council’s secretary general, Yaya Sangaré, unveiled the national competition before key actors from the scientific, technological, and economic sectors.

At that event, Sangaré said the prize’s ambition is to spotlight technological, economic, social, and cultural innovations capable of transforming communities and boosting national competitiveness.

Following the launch, the call for applications closed on 10 June with 54 submissions from inventors, researchers, students, startups, and companies across the country.

After evaluation by the FONSTI scientific council and external experts, 34 projects were shortlisted for the audition stage.

The finalists presented their innovations before an evaluation committee from 18 to 21 November.

The committee will assess each proposal’s scientific merit, feasibility, innovation level, and socio-economic potential.

At the conclusion of the hearings, five projects will be recommended to the Steering Committee, which will select the top three awardees.

The winning innovations will receive financial support earmarked for incubation, technical development, intellectual property protection, and structured mentorship, alongside enhanced national and international visibility.

The prize comes at a critical moment for Côte d’Ivoire, which ranked 112th out of 132 countries in the 2024 Global Innovation Index.

FONSTI aims to stimulate creativity, support local innovators, and strengthen the country’s capacity to generate practical solutions with measurable impact.

Strengthening regional research capacity through SGCI

As a member of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), FONSTI’s innovation award mirrors wider continental efforts to professionalise research management, improve innovation funding systems, and accelerate the translation of research into development outcomes across Africa.

The emphasis on socio-economic relevance and long-term support for innovators reflects SGCI’s model for strengthening national science systems.

The innovation prize is energising Côte d’Ivoire’s innovation landscape and reinforcing its contribution to a broader African movement aimed at leveraging science, technology, and innovation for inclusive growth.

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